Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best gaming gadgets
  • New Games 2026
  • Arc Raiders
  • Summer Game Fest 2026 schedule
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Don't miss these
A little frog wearing a hat and riding a sled in Sledding Game
Co-op Games Solo dev stunned as his "first ever video game" sells 100,000 copies in 5 days on Steam
Screenshot from Outbound, showing four people sat in a caravan staring toward the camera.
Survival Games Subnautica 2 pulls a Hollow Knight Silksong, shoves one of Steam's most-wishlisted games out of its release date
Slay the Spire 2 Defect robot standing in front of other classes
Roguelike Games Slay the Spire 2 devs initially wanted to keep updating the original instead of making a sequel
Hollow Knight: Silksong screenshot of white rose warrior Lace
Action Games Silksong fans believe Sea of Sorrow DLC is coming soon due to a single emoji from the marketing lead
A man with a mustache tucks into a meal in Farm to Table
Simulation Games Just like Silksong, Subnautica 2 causes a chain reaction and pushes a second game to move its release date early
Tangy TD developer Cakez appears emotional after learning of the game's sales
Games Solo dev breaks down in tears after opening Steam and learning his game made $250,000 in a week
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Action Games The 25 best Metroidvania games you can play in 2026
The title character of Mina the Hollower
Action RPGs Zelda-like Mina the Hollower gets May release date in "make-or-break" moment for Shovel Knight devs
no rest for the wicked respec
Action RPGs After 2 years in Steam Early Access and almost 2 million copies sold, ARPG No Rest for the Wicked is "not slowing down"
Slay the Spire 2
Roguelike Games Slay the Spire 2 almost had fewer new cards because of Dark Souls, but testers "were not jiving"
Hollow Knight Silksong cutscene screenshot of Hornet in a field of white flowers
Action Games New Silksong update brings "game-changing" tweak to Silk Soar, and fans of the Hollow Knight sequel can't believe it
Enshrouded
Survival Games Palworld lead defends Enshrouded, says Pocketpair was fortunate to stand out in a "stacked" time
Dawnfolk strategy game grid
Strategy Games Meet the Assassin's Creed dev who left Ubisoft to make the weirdest city-builder you need to play
Mina the Hollower key art cropped to just show Mina
Action RPGs I already know Mina the Hollower is going to ruin my life
Mel staring head-on with one red eye in Hades 2
Hades After 300 hours, Hades 2 has me back under its spell with a console launch and secret new game mode
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Adventure Games
  3. Hollow Knight: Silksong

During development, Hollow Knight devs kept costs low with leftover lunches at their tiny office, and then the game sold 15 million copies: “My dad would sometimes pop up and give me $20"

News
By Scott McCrae published 22 August 2025

12 million of those copies were sold after Silksong was announced

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Hollow Knight: Silksong
(Image credit: Team Cherry)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally coming out, and the developers at Team Cherry have highlighted the stark difference between developing the sequel and the original game.

After what the fans will tell you felt like three decades (it was six years) worth of waiting, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally dated and ready to come out. In a trailer released yesterday, it was revealed that there are only two more weeks until the saga is over. But perhaps more exciting was the simultaneous release of an article by Bloomberg discussing what took so long in the first place.

And the even better surprise was that it wasn't a story of development hell or working under the intense pressure of a feverish fanbase who may have their expectations set too high; in fact, Team Cherry was simply "having fun" making it. And part of what made this possible was that Hollow Knight sold 15 million copies, which made for a stark contrast compared to the development of that game.

Latest Videos From
You may like
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong screenshot of white rose warrior Lace Silksong fans believe Sea of Sorrow DLC is coming soon due to a single emoji from the marketing lead
  • Hollow Knight Silksong cutscene screenshot of Hornet in a field of white flowers New Silksong update brings "game-changing" tweak to Silk Soar, and fans of the Hollow Knight sequel can't believe it
  • The Knight stands blade in hand in key art for Hollow Knight, used in Edge Magazine's Time Extend feature 9 years later, Hollow Knight's lore just became even weirder thanks to an update to the Metroidvania from Team Cherry

During the production of Hollow Knight, the developers recalled that sometimes the team would be living off of leftover sandwiches brought over by a neighbouring office.

Team Cherry co-founder Ari Gibson recalls, "My dad would sometimes pop up and give me $20… I’d be like, 'Oh, I’m having coffee today!'" And while co-founder William Pellen has found great peace of mind through the game's financial success, Gibson's outlook hasn't changed much.

"I live in a very basic two-bedroom apartment," Gibson says, adding, "Sometimes I think, 'You know what would be better, is a one-bedroom apartment.' Because then there’s even less to maintain."

What's perhaps even more interesting is that of those 15 million sales, 12 million came after Silksong was announced, with the original game only having sold around 2.8 million copies at that point. So in a way, the hype around Silksong helped the game stay in development even longer, as Gibson says, "We’re very lucky in that regard."

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Silksong devs tempt fate, tease "ambitious" DLC plans to add content to the long-awaited Metroidvania: "Hopefully we can achieve some of it."

TOPICS
Gamescom
CATEGORIES
Nintendo Switch 2 Xbox Series X PS5 PC Gaming Platforms Nintendo Xbox PlayStation
Scott McCrae
Scott McCrae
Social Links Navigation
Contributor

Scott has been freelancing for over three years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Hollow Knight: Silksong screenshot of white rose warrior Lace
Action Games Silksong fans believe Sea of Sorrow DLC is coming soon due to a single emoji from the marketing lead
 
 
Hollow Knight Silksong cutscene screenshot of Hornet in a field of white flowers
Action Games New Silksong update brings "game-changing" tweak to Silk Soar, and fans of the Hollow Knight sequel can't believe it
 
 
The Knight stands blade in hand in key art for Hollow Knight, used in Edge Magazine's Time Extend feature
Action Games 9 years later, Hollow Knight's lore just became even weirder thanks to an update to the Metroidvania from Team Cherry
 
 
Silksong
Action Games Hollow Knight: Silksong patch 5 is is "the last significant update" before Sea of Sorrow DLC
 
 
Hollow Knight: Silksong bug suspended in silk strands
Action Games Hollow Knight: Silksong community crosses 4 weeks cheering a mad lad fighting Savage Beastfly with ungodly custom rules
 
 
The Knight stands blade in hand in key art for Hollow Knight, used in Edge Magazine's Time Extend feature
Action Games Hollow Knight just fixed a dreadful bug after 9 years, and I don't know if I want to laugh or cry
 
 
Latest in Adventure Games
LEGO Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight screenshot showing batman grabbing joker
Adventure Games Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight has leaked on Xbox early, with some players able to access the full game
 
 
A human ditto jumping in the air during Pokemon Pokopia
Pokemon Pokopia is already in the top 5 best-selling Pokemon spin-offs, with around 20% of Switch 2 owners buying the cozy sim
 
 
Key art for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen showing Venasaur against a swirling green background, cropped for a header image
Pokemon Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are now some of the best-selling Pokemon games of all time
 
 
Mixtape screenshot showing three teenagers driving a car along a beach as fireworks explode in the sky
Adventure Games Instantly one of the best-rated games of 2026, nostalgic adventure Mixtape flies up Metacritic
 
 
Mixtape screenshot featuring the three main characters pushing a shopping cart while being chased
Adventure Games Mixtape review: "A nostalgic, vibes-based experience set to a shockingly solid soundtrack"
 
 
Lego Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight suits and costumes
Adventure Games How many suits are in Lego Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight?
 
 
Latest in News
Kung Liao and Liu Kang in the Blue Portal
Action Movies Mortal Kombat 2 star Max Huang wants a Shaolin Monks spin-off after that standout Blue Portal fight
 
 
Elena looks concerned in Uncharted 4
Action Games Uncharted 4 dataminer uncovers lost version from Amy Hennig with new cutscenes, more Elena
 
 
Subnautica 2
Survival Games Subnautica 2 hit 5 million Steam wishlists days before early access launch, so everyone gets a gift
 
 
Mouse: P.I. For Hire
FPS Games Mouse: P.I. for Hire made all its money back in a month, selling 730,000 copies
 
 
Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred
Diablo First Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred patch nerfs the Butcher, makes charms easier to find, and plenty more
 
 
The GameSir G7 Pro 8K PC Aimlabs Edition in a marketing image
Gaming Controllers GameSir officially launches the PC version of its G7 Pro controller, unlocking a ludicrous 8,000Hz polling rate for less than $100
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis in Widow's Bay.
    1
    Apple TV's new horror comedy is so charming and evocative, it's the sort of show you want to live inside
  2. 2
    Uncharted 4 dataminer uncovers lost version from Amy Hennig with new cutscenes, more Elena
  3. 3
    Subnautica 2 hit 5 million Steam wishlists days before early access launch, so everyone gets a gift
  4. 4
    Mouse: P.I. for Hire made all its money back in a month, selling 730,000 copies
  5. 5
    GameSir officially launches the PC version of its G7 Pro controller, unlocking a ludicrous 8,000Hz polling rate for less than $100

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...