Don't expect Hollow Knight Silksong reviews at launch

After years of waiting, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally announced a launch date earlier today, and it's just around the corner. The first game has established a reputation as one of the most beloved Metroidvanias of all time, standing alongside Nine Sols, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Dead Cells as an exemplar of the genre. While the sequel's relationship to the first Hollow Knight might make Silksong's quality seem like a sure thing, we won't know for sure until after it's been out for a while. That's because Team Cherry has reportedly stated that the game won't be made available to reviewers ahead of launch.

When Jamie previewed Hollow Knight: Silksong earlier this week, he wrote that it "feels exactly like we hoped it would," while cautioning that "it doesn't seem like a massive departure from the original," even if its design changes still work to "[freshen] up the formula." It turns out that the information contained in previews accompanying the Hollow Knight Silksong release date reveal will likely be our only insight on the Metroidvania game before it's out, though.

In a post from Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, we learn that Silksong creator Team Cherry doesn't "plan on sending out early codes" for the game. Schreier explains the team's rationale, writing that the studio "felt like it'd be unfair for critics to be playing before Kickstarter backers and other players." Because of this, he writes, you "shouldn't "expect to see reviews until after the game comes out."

While this decision is unlikely to harm Silksong, it's still unfortunate that reviews won't be available before launch in order to better inform audiences. Still, some spoiler-concerned players are likely to rejoice at the news.

Regardless, it won't be long before the sequel is available to everyone. Hollow Knight: Silksong will launch on Thursday September 4, 2025. You can wishlist it on Steam right here.

You can also bide the time until Silksong's launch by checking out our picks for the best soulslike games and best indie games already out on PC.

If you want to discuss everything Silksong, from its new trailer to this news on review timing, head on over to our community Discord server, to chat with other fans.