Bloody Hell! Silksong Modders Conjure Co-op Magic Before the Dust Even Settles
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Barely a week after launch, Hollow Knight: Silksong modders have already conjured up multiplayer functionality, letting players adventure through Pharloom with a mate, proving that the gaming community's digital wizardry is as fast as it is passionate.
Right, so you know how we've all been waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong longer than a wizard waits for a rare reagent to brew? Well, it's barely been a blip on the gaming timeline since release – we're talking less than a week, mate – and already, the digital alchemists of the modding scene are cooking up multiplayer mods. Bloody hell, that's quick, even by the most chaotic standards of this industry!
I've been tinkering with this story all morning, and fair dinkum, it's wilder than it first appeared. While the official channels are still probably polishing off their launch celebratory snacks, the community has already decided, 'Nah, one Hornet isn't enough.' And honestly, who can blame them? The sheer anticipation for Silksong was monumental, so it's no surprise that the modding scene has exploded out of the gates with the same gusto. But here's the kicker: it's one thing to tweak a few numbers or swap out textures; it's another entirely to turn a meticulously crafted single-player metroidvania into a multi-Hornet romp.
Two intrepid modders have already thrown their hats (or perhaps, their cloaks) into the ring, dropping their early versions onto Nexus. We've got Nek5's wonderfully punny 'SilklessCoop' (if you get the reference, you're one of us) and 233xvx233's more 'does what it says on the tin' 'Silksong Steam multiplayer mod'. Both aim for the same glorious goal: letting you and a mate load into the same version of Pharloom, see each other bouncing about, and maybe – just maybe – tackle those pesky bosses side-by-side.
Now, before you go thinking this is perfectly synced, lag-free boss-slaying bliss, let's inject a dose of gentle skepticism. These are proofs-of-concept, early doors magic, if you will. The videos shared by the authors (a tip of the hat to Rock Paper Shotgun for spotting these first!) show that you can indeed co-exist in the same game world. You can see your buddy's Hornet flitting about, which is impressive enough for day one. But as for actual coordinated combat? Nek5's footage shows a 'main' Hornet and a less saturated doppelganger near a foe, but I can't quite make out the second Hornet landing any definitive blows or taking damage. And 233xvx233 promises 'basic pvp' in their description, but so far, no fighting footage has materialised. So, maybe hold off on planning your dual-Hornet boss rush for now, yeah?
This isn't just a minor feat, you know. Turning a single-player game into a multiplayer one involves some serious digital sorcery. You're not just adding another character model; you're syncing physics, enemy states, player states, hit detection, and ensuring both players aren't just phasing through each other like ghosts at a tea party. It’s like trying to get two separate spellcasting circles to share the same mana pool without exploding – tricky, but incredibly rewarding when it works.
Setting these early versions up sounds like a bit of a quest in itself, too. SilklessCoop, for instance, relies on the BepInEx modding framework and a server utility hosted on GitHub. The chatter in the comments section suggests getting a server up and running can be as tricky a task as playing Silksong itself, even with the provided instructions. So, if you're a modding novice, I'd maybe steer clear for now or at least approach it with the patience of someone farming for rare drops.
And, as you'd expect from something brewed this quickly, there are a few 'teething issues.' Nek5 mentions disconnections leading to 'unmoving duplicates' of Hornet (talk about a creepy doppelganger!), and some attack animations going a bit wonky. But here's where the optimistic chaos comes in: they're already planning to flesh it out with better sync, an arrow to show when your buddy wanders off-screen, and even 'public servers hosted by me.' Though, they do describe that last one as 'scary + expensive,' which makes it sound more like a hopeful 'maybe' than a definite plan – a true wizard's dilemma between ambition and resources!
233xvx233's mod, while a bit more vague on the instructions, seems to involve some game file messing around and a dedicated interface for Steam copies of Silksong. It's all very much 'experiment and see what happens' at this stage, which, let's be honest, is half the fun of modding.
This whole affair is a testament to the sheer passion and ingenuity of the gaming community. Hollow Knight had a vibrant modding scene, and it looks like Silksong is set to inherit that legacy and then some. These early experiments are just the beginning. Reckon it won't be long before the folks behind the original Hollow Knight's multiplayer mod weigh in with their own, potentially more advanced, take on co-op Silksong. Until then, it's just bloody brilliant to see modders diving in headfirst, proving that if a game exists, players will find a way to play it together, no matter how impossible it seems. It's the human story behind the corporate announcement – the players shaping their own experience, and honestly, that's always the most interesting part.
Attribution for the original news goes to Rock Paper Shotgun, Mark Warren, for his initial report.
Tags: HollowKnightSilksong, Modding, Co-op, CommunityDriven, PCGaming
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun