The long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong, developed by Team Cherry, has finally secured a release date of September 4, 2025. The announcement, made during Gamescom 2025, has generated immense excitement among fans of the critically acclaimed Hollow Knight. However, the hype surrounding Silksong has prompted several indie studios, including Aeternum Game Studios and Panik Arcade, to delay their own game releases to avoid being overshadowed by the highly anticipated Metroidvania sequel. This article explores the impact of Silksong’s release on the indie gaming landscape and the strategic decisions made by these studios.
Aeternum Game Studios, developers of the 2D Metroidvania Aeterna Lucis, a sequel to 2021’s Aeterna Noctis, announced a significant delay, pushing their game’s release from September 2025 to sometime in 2026. The studio cited Silksong’s September 4 release as a primary reason, acknowledging that launching alongside such a phenomenon would diminish their game’s visibility. “After the announcement of Silksong, we are fully aware that our game wouldn’t have the visibility it deserves,” the studio stated on X. “Competing with a phenomenon of that scale would not only be unfair to our team’s effort, but also to you, the community, who expect to experience this adventure under the best possible conditions.”
The delay is not solely due to Silksong. Aeternum also highlighted challenges in securing development kits for next-generation consoles, likely the Nintendo Switch 2, which has limited their ability to ensure a simultaneous multi-platform release. Despite the setback, the studio expressed gratitude to Team Cherry, crediting Hollow Knight as a key inspiration for their work and the broader Metroidvania genre’s popularity. This acknowledgment reflects a sense of camaraderie rather than rivalry, with Aeternum viewing the delay as a strategic move to give Aeterna Lucis the spotlight it deserves.
Panik Arcade, developers of the roguelike CloverPit, also opted to delay their game, though with a less drastic adjustment. Originally slated for September 3, 2025 just one day before Silksong CloverPit’s release has been moved to September 26, 2025. Described as the “demonic lovechild of Balatro and Buckshot Roulette,” CloverPit is a slot machine-inspired roguelike that differs significantly from Silksong’s Metroidvania style. However, Panik Arcade recognized the risk of launching so close to Silksong. In a post on X, the studio stated, “Silksong is the most anticipated and wishlisted game on all of Steam, and we think people will love this game and play it right at launch (including us), but that also means it will overshadow all games launching close to it.”
Panik Arcade’s decision reflects a pragmatic approach, with the studio humorously noting, “We like a gamble, but this one is too risky lol.” The extra three weeks will be used to further polish CloverPit, ensuring a stronger launch. Unlike Aeterna Lucis, which faces direct competition as a Metroidvania, CloverPit’s genre distinction makes its delay a cautious but strategic choice to maximize attention and player engagement.
The collective decision by these studios highlights Silksong’s outsized influence, often likened to the impact of Grand Theft Auto VI, which prompted similar release date shifts when it was initially slated for 2025. With GTA VI now delayed to May 2026, Silksong has emerged as the dominant force reshaping the 2025 gaming calendar.