According to Wccftech, Team Cherry has announced Hollow Knight Silksong: Sea of Sorrow, a free DLC expansion arriving sometime in 2026. The studio also confirmed that Silksong has sold over seven million copies since its launch this past September, with millions more playing via Xbox Game Pass. Furthermore, the original Hollow Knight will debut on the Nintendo Switch 2 next year, featuring all the visual and performance upgrades from the Silksong port. The DLC is described as a nautically themed expansion with new areas, bosses, and tools. A public beta for a major PC update is live now on Steam and GOG, adding ultrawide monitor support and other enhancements.
Silence, Then A Flood
Okay, let’s be real. This is a lot to process after years of Team Cherry’s famous, almost agonizing radio silence. We went from memes about the game never releasing to having a hit game, a confirmed DLC roadmap, and next-gen port news all in one blog post. It’s a bit whiplash-inducing, but in the best way possible. The sheer scale of the success—7 million copies is a staggering number for an indie Metroidvania—clearly gave them the confidence and resources to communicate this pipeline so openly. You can read their full, grateful announcement in their holiday 2025 blog post.
Why Free DLC Matters
Here’s the thing: announcing that Sea of Sorrow will be free isn’t just a nice gesture. It’s a massive strategic play. It builds insane goodwill and keeps the entire player base together, which is crucial for the community-driven discovery and challenge-sharing that makes these games thrive. They’re not fracturing the audience with paid content. Instead, they’re investing in the game’s longevity as a unified platform. Basically, they’re playing the long game, betting that a happy, whole community will sustain the IP for years. Smart move.
The Switch 2 Factor
Bringing the original Hollow Knight to the Switch 2 with all the Silksong tech upgrades is a genius bit of cross-promotion. It introduces a classic to a new hardware audience with a fresh coat of paint, right as hype for the Silksong DLC builds. It turns the Switch 2 into the definitive portable destination for the entire Hollow Knight saga. And promising both upgrades as free? That cements Team Cherry’s reputation as player-first developers in an era where that’s increasingly rare.
What Comes Next
So, a 2026 target for the DLC. I think we’ve all learned to be… cautiously optimistic about timelines from this team. But the fact they’re talking about it now, with it “well underway,” suggests they have a solid foundation from the main game’s development. The nautical theme is exciting—water levels in a game about a bug knight? The atmospheric potential is huge. Now, the wait begins again, but at least it’s a wait with a defined destination. And in the meantime, that PC beta with ultrawide support is a fantastic holdover for the hardcore fans. The full scope of Team Cherry’s vision is finally coming into view, and it’s bigger than anyone guessed.
