Hollow Knight Silksong community in shambles after finding something new in 4-year-old gameplay clips
Yes, we're at this point
After much delay and anticipation, we finally, sort of, have some Hollow Knight Silksong news.
Hollow Knight Silksong trailers are old hat at this point, but there's apparently still more to discover in the previously released gameplay footage. Not in the actual footage itself, mind you, but in the metadata associated with the footage via video hosting sites like YouTube.
As the Twitter user below chronicles, a Discord user dug into metadata from the video clips in a Silksong press kit and discovered names associated with each clip. For example, the metadata points towards the location of the first screenshot being 'Coral Gorge.' I don't think "Fishies" have got much to do with anything.
Silksong news! Kinda... TheShawarma on Discord dug into the metadata in the Silksong press kit and uncovered the file names of the videos used to construct the trailer! Check out the replies for a video featuring all the names. pic.twitter.com/hb1gJSdf4PDecember 13, 2023
The big intimidating foe in the second screenshot might be called the 'Coral King,' according to the metadata associated with the clip. Considering the background of the screenshot looks very similar to the first screenshot, this could be a boss encountered in the same area.
'Bellhart' is a name associated with the third screenshot, which could well be the name of the character stood just to the right of Hornet. The original Hollow Knight had all sorts of wonderful bugs to befriend, so seeing a newcomer for the sequel makes a lot of sense.
Finally, the metadata for the fourth screenshot reads 'Bonebottom Skull King.' It's a little difficult to make out which creature this text refers to, since there's three beasties aside from Hornet in the screenshot. We'd put money on it being the big feller to the right, though.
Finally, in what might be one of the most unenviable jobs on the internet, we have the 'Daily Silksong News' account below. Yesterday, December 13 marked 1,062 days since the daily posts apparently started being made, and 1,763 days since Silksong was first revealed. The delayed game really has made people do strange things.
Sign up to the 12DOVE Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Apologize for the delay. I was delayed. There were news https://t.co/KMvQUDk8ToDecember 13, 2023
The six-minute video above actually delves into more metadata from the clips than the previous tweet did. It turns out the metadata has apparent references to Hornet's moves, such as a dash ability involving a harpoon, and a repeated dash ability on a foe.
This is a really nice break for the Silksong community, and we hope it keeps them going for a while longer yet. Considering people are getting so frustrated that one playtester told fans "there simply are no f***ing updates" recently, we'd say a lot of people are really starting to feel the radio silence.
Check out our guide to all the upcoming indie games that you definitely should be keeping an eye on.
Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.