Xbox started its annual summer showcase with a bang, announcing a new dedicated handheld less than 10 minutes into the showcase. But perhaps what’s even more surprising than Xbox finally diving into the handheld race is the reveal that Hollow Knight Silksong, one of the most anticipated games of every year since its announcement, will be coming to the console at launch this holiday.
The showcase might still show off a proper trailer for Team Cherry’s metroidvania sequel, but as it stands, all we saw was some new clips of protagonist Hornet platforming through a dangerous-looking area full of spinning blades and acrobatically attacking various bug-shaped enemies.
The game was at an Xbox summer showcase three years ago, when it was promised to launch sometime within the next 12 months. It was obviously delayed. The last time we saw it, however, was at the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, when we learned it would be coming out later this year.
It’s worth noting that the trailer didn’t say the game would be launching with the Xbox handheld, just that “it will be available at launch,” according to Xbox president Sarah Bond. This means the game could launch any time between then and now, but whenever the Xbox handheld has a release date, we’ll know Silksong is due out before then.
At the very least, it sounds like Team Cherry is doubling down on 2025, so if it doesn’t launch this year, it will be more surprising than ever.
