Miracles Do Happen, Mate: Silksong Gets an Update (Yes, THAT Silksong)
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Team Cherry has dropped a surprise patch for Hollow Knight: Silksong, adding DualSense Edge support, improved Mac controller compatibility, and a much-needed auto-pause feature on controller disconnect, alongside a hefty list of bug fixes. While not a release date, this small update is a welcome sign of life for the long-awaited sequel, confirming active development is still underway.
Right, so you know that feeling when you've been waiting for a bus for what feels like an eternity, and then you hear a faint rumble, only to realise it's just a particularly loud pigeon? Well, for a moment there, I thought we had another pigeon situation with Hollow Knight: Silksong. But no, fair dinkum, it seems Team Cherry has actually poked their digital wand into the abyss and conjured up a patch!
Yes, you read that right. A patch. For *Silksong*. The game that has existed in a Schrödinger's cat state of both imminent release and perpetual development hell for what feels like several geological eras. News, even a whisper, about this mythical beast is enough to make me accidentally cast 'summon pizza' instead of 'fix firewall' – I'm just that flustered.
As spotted by Claire Lewis over at Polygon, a new update, version 1.0.28891, quietly dropped for Team Cherry's highly anticipated sequel. And honestly, for a game that has practically become a meme, any sign of life is cause for a celebratory (and gently skeptical) pint. What's in this digital care package, you ask? Well, let's dive into the pixelated tea leaves.
First up, and probably the most universally appreciated tidbit for those of us who prefer a bit of tactile feedback: DualSense Edge controller compatibility. For all you fancy-pants PlayStation wielders with your swanky Edge controllers, you can now dive into Pharloom with all your custom back buttons and swappable stick caps. Not just that, Mac players get improved controller support too. This is proper quality-of-life stuff, isn't it? Because nothing says 'immersive platforming' like fighting your controller more than the actual bosses.
But here's the absolute genius move that every single gamer, regardless of their platform, can get behind: the game now pauses if your controller disconnects. Bloody brilliant, that. No more accidentally falling into a spiked pit, or worse, into an out-of-bounds void, because your wireless controller decided to have a nap or the batteries pulled a Houdini. It's a small change, but it's the kind of empathetic design that tells you the developers actually play games and know the frustrations. It's like finding a wizard who remembers to ward his own trousers against accidental fireballs.
Beyond the welcome controller enhancements, the bulk of this ethereal patch is dedicated to, as the official notes put it, 'squashing bugs.' And let me tell you, it's quite the list. Everything from players getting stuck 'cursed in the late game' (sounds like a proper existential crisis, that) to 'Curveclaw not reacting to Hunter down-stab' (I don't even know what a Curveclaw is yet, but I'm glad it's now reacting correctly to being stabbed downwards!).
There are fixes for numerous 'out of bounds' situations – which, let's be honest, often leads to some hilarious, if frustrating, physics-defying escapades. Pharlid Divers sliding on roofs, Eva Hunter Crest upgrades clearing tool equips, Harpoon sometimes giving you two Silk instead of one (oops, freebies!), Cogflies appearing from odd locations – the list reads like a series of digital mishaps that would make a programmer reach for a strong brew. Even the Crust King Khann, apparently, was prone to falling out of bounds on 'low-end systems.' Poor bloke. Sounds like a proper kerfuffle.
What's particularly telling about this patch, and here's where my clever observational wizardry kicks in, is that Team Cherry, bless their mysterious hearts, didn't even deem this worthy of a big dev blog post. Polygon notes it was just posted on the game's Steam page. This isn't a grand reveal; it's more like a subtle wink from behind a curtain. It suggests that while progress is being made, this isn't the monumental 'here's our release date!' kind of update we're all secretly pining for. It's a maintenance patch, a steady hum in the background, telling us that the engines are still running, albeit at a gentle purr rather than a full roar.
For those of us who've been patiently (or impatiently, let's be real) waiting since the game's announcement in 2019, this patch is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's concrete proof that Silksong isn't just a collective hallucination. Someone is actively working on it, fixing things, making improvements. On the other hand, it's a reminder that it's still very much *in development*, and the wait continues. It doesn't tell us *when* we'll finally get to guide Hornet through her new adventure, but it does confirm that her adventure is still being meticulously crafted, bug by bug.
The minimal balance changes – a slight damage increase to Sharp Dart and Cross Stitch, an update to Rune Rage, and a slight decrease to Thread Storm damage at higher needle levels – also reinforce that this isn't a major rebalancing act. It's fine-tuning, not an overhaul. It’s like a wizard tightening a loose bolt on his magical staff; essential, but not exactly conjuring a dragon.
So, what does this patch truly mean for the legions of dedicated Hollow Knight fans? It's a flicker of hope, a gentle nudge from Team Cherry that says, "We're still here, and so is Silksong." It's a testament to the fact that even in the vast, sometimes chaotic, world of game development, the quiet, persistent work of squashing bugs and refining mechanics continues. And for a game that holds such a special place in so many hearts, that's more than enough reason to feel cautiously optimistic. Just don't hold your breath for a release date *today*, mate. We're not quite at the 'accidental reality distortion' level of news yet. But it's a bloody good sign, all the same.
*(Original article by Claire Lewis, published on Polygon)*
Tags: Hollow Knight, Silksong, Team Cherry, Game Updates, Indie Games
Original article: Polygon