Silksong voice actor behind Shakra says Team Cherry would give the same advice players shared: if something feels really hard, "maybe that's a sign" you should explore more

Hollow Knight: Silksong cutscene screenshot showing Hornet lying on the ground in front of her nail — (Image credit: Team Cherry)

Hollow Knight: Silksong actor Lauren Koopowitz – who voiced over 20 characters in the game, most notably the mapmaker Shakra – shared a glimpse into Team Cherry's approach to the game's difficulty.

After the discussion around Hollow Knight: Silksong stopped being "when is it releasing please tell me my crops are dying," it swiftly moved on to the ever-dreaded difficulty discourse. The game seemingly expected players to pick up where they left off in Hollow Knight years ago with all their skills intact, and as a result was way harder than Hollow Knight. For weeks after it launched – despite it being one of the most beloved games of 2025 and a shoe-in for Game of the Year nominations – criticism was levelled at its difficulty, with a large amount thrown the Savage Beastfly's way.

In response, Koopowitz said, "You were almost quoting one of the creators," adding that "I was chatting to him about it" and he suggested, "Look, if you get to a point and it's really, really hard, maybe that's a sign. Maybe go and – it's a huge map, there's so much to explore, there's so much to do."

While I haven't played Silksong, that's always a strategy I try to take in games like Dark Souls (which Hollow Knight was somewhat inspired by), so it's sound advice… or you could be like me and bash your head into it until it cracks, getting frustrated and playing worse in the process. That's also valid.