Hollow Knight: Silksong - What are the chances of it winning GOTY 2025?

Hollow Knight: Silksong carries an unusual weight; since its reveal, Team Cherry’s game has become something few games manage to be even before reaching the public: a modern video game myth.

After years of silence, unconfirmed delays, and only brief mentions at important events, the community had already lost faith in the game's release, but maintained its expectations despite the lack of concrete information. Silksong became synonymous with waiting, hope, and speculation, a phenomenon so strong that, when it was released, it seemed as if the gaming world stopped to play and watch.

With its nomination for The Game Awards 2025, two questions remained on players' minds: "Can Silksong really win Game of the Year?" and, "What reasons could prevent the game from winning GOTY?"

These questions involve both technical and artistic factors. Below, we'll explore the arguments in favor of Silksong and what might work against it at the biggest awards ceremony in the gaming industry.

An evolution of a cult classic

The first Hollow Knight conquered the world as one of the greatest independent works ever created. Its world, narrative, environment, and precise combat transformed the game into a benchmark in the Metroidvania genre. Silksong, instead of simply maintaining the successful formula of the first game, went further, taking the player to a larger and deeper universe.

Team Cherry decided to rebuild the experience around Hornet, creating a game with its own identity. Hornet is more agile, her jump reaches greater distances, she has acrobatic attacks, and a more aggressive style. A radical change in the protagonist that creates a new sense of fluidity, something that many have pointed out as one of the greatest evolutions ever seen in an indie sequel.

The result is a game that respects the fundamentals that made it famous, but has managed to expand everything, from level design to the variety of enemies, creating an experience that many consider to have surpassed the original, bringing more energy, speed, and complexity.

Pharloom, a living and fascinating world

If Hallownest was a melancholic subterranean metropolis, Pharloom is entirely different. A vertical kingdom, full of towers, temples, and cities that resemble animated works of art. There's a grandeur in its construction that elevates Silksong above the first game, with more open, hand-drawn environments and an impressive wealth of detail.

The construction of this vertical world isn’t just aesthetic, but mechanical. Hornet climbs, jumps, and moves with speed, making Pharloom a risky and fascinating world. Each region has its own themes inspired by cultures, mythologies, and biomes; enigmatic characters that add mystery to the kingdom; aggressive enemies adapted to Hornet's speed; and unique soundtracks.

A deeper and more challenging combat

Combat in Silksong is faster, more technical, and more varied than its predecessor. Hornet demands mastery and agility, precision, and memorization of attacks. Enemies are designed to take advantage of this movement, making each fight a kind of deadly dance. Furthermore, Silksong features notable improvements, such as crafted tools that replace amulets and allow for active customization of playstyle; a healing system based on time and vulnerability, creating constant tension for the player; altitude-focused movement, encouraging the player to use verticality during confrontations; and more acrobatic bosses with multiple stages and an aggressive use of aerial attacks.

Soundtrack and atmosphere

Christopher Larkin is once again at the front of the compositions, creating music that functions as auditory poetry. The game's soundtrack combines melancholy and energy, bringing themes that accompany the solitude of Hornet's journey, but also the grandeur of the world of Pharloom.

The cultural strength of a game

Silksong brings something very rare to indie games; when you play it, the feeling is that you're in a AAA game. The wait for the game's release was rewarding; during the development period, the game became an internet meme, and perhaps that was the fuel that Team Cherry needed to create something great. Accumulating millions of views on trailers and mobilizing huge communities, the game has become a symbol of the artistic power of independent games.

A work by passionate developers

The fact that Silksong was created by such a small team and delivers such a solid and refined experience has made the game a symbol of independent excellence. Its level of technical polish, art direction, and beautiful narrative make the game an example that great works don't depend on large budgets.

Affordable price and publishing strategy

The affordable launch price and availability across multiple platforms increased the reach and player base, which strengthened the game's impact and relevance. This accessibility helped transform enthusiasm into data, sales, discussions, videos, and streams that influenced many players to enter the world of Silksong.

Despite its numerous strengths, Silksong isn't perfect and has some flaws that many consider critical. Furthermore, 2025 brought major releases, some with larger budgets and aggressive marketing with wider reach, generating much debate on social media and in the gaming media about which game is better.

Did it innovate enough?

Perhaps Silksong's greatest enemy is Hollow Knight itself. The first game was a worldwide sensation, a phenomenon of innovation and quality that surprised players. When something like that happens, every sequel is compared.

Even though it's practically refined in every aspect, many felt the evolution was significant but not revolutionary, that the game's overall structure remains similar to the first, and that the innovation didn't reach the impact of the original.

Unattainable expectations

Silksong spent so much time in development and generated so much hype that many fans created an idealized image of the game, elevating it to a status it might’ve never been able to achieve. This wait, followed by the expectation, led players to believe that the game is less than they imagined. Many expected a revolution when the game's objective was always evolution, making exaggerated comparisons inevitable.

A genre that is still niche

Metroidvanias are incredibly respected, but they're still not as popular as cinematic RPGs, realistic action games, or big AAA productions. Many still can't connect with this genre as deeply, creating a barrier to entry. When a game features a denser map, a less explicit narrative, punishing aspects in certain sections, a slow start until progression picks up, high difficulty, and excessively challenging gameplay, many give up before even beginning.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is undoubtedly one of the great releases of 2025. It represents everything an indie game can achieve: art, depth, emotion, identity, and impact. It's a work of art made with care and passion, honoring the legacy of Hollow Knight without fear of pushing its boundaries.

Regardless of the outcome at The Game Awards 2025, Silksong has already secured its place as one of the great games of this generation. Winning or not, Hornet's journey will be remembered for many years, and that, in itself, is a victory.