Hollow Knight: Silksong Demo Confirmed for Gamescom 2025 — Hands-On Access at Xbox Booth
- Sagar Mankar
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
After years of silence, delays, and meme-worthy anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally taking a major step forward — a fully playable demo is coming to Gamescom 2025, giving fans their long-awaited chance to go hands-on with the sequel to one of indie gaming’s biggest hits.
The demo will be available at Microsoft’s Xbox booth, running on PC and the newly announced ROG Xbox Ally X, as confirmed in a recent Xbox Wire post.
This marks the first-ever public opportunity to play Silksong, and fans attending the event in Cologne, Germany, from August 20–24 will be among the very first to try it out.
“This year, the Xbox booth will be full of fantastic upcoming games from Xbox and our incredible third-party partners... and yes, that includes Hollow Knight: Silksong,” the post reads, confirming the long-awaited news.
Silksong will be joined by several other titles playable at the booth, including Borderlands 4, Onimusha: Way of The Sword, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, EA Sports FC 26, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, and Super Meat Boy 3D, among others. Microsoft is clearly going all-in on this year’s Gamescom showcase.
And it’s not just the games stealing the spotlight — the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X handhelds will also be available for hands-on testing. According to the same post, these new devices will be demonstrated using titles like Roblox, Sea of Thieves, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, and of course, Silksong itself.
Six Years in the Making
It’s been over six years since Hollow Knight: Silksong was first announced in February 2019. What started as a planned DLC for the original Hollow Knight eventually evolved into a full-fledged sequel. Since then, updates have been scarce, and the game’s development status has often left fans guessing.
In early 2025, Team Cherry’s Matthew Griffin confirmed via Discord that Silksong is still in development and “progressing well,” with a release window set for Q4 2025. This was later supported by its inclusion in a Nintendo Switch 2 showcase reel and further clarified by Team Cherry's PR lead, Leth, who mentioned it would arrive before the holiday season — hinting at a possible launch between late September and November.
Adding to the buzz, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) also confirmed that Silksong would be playable at its Game Worlds exhibition starting September 18, 2025, offering another public testing opportunity shortly after Gamescom.
What to Expect from the Gameplay
In Silksong, players will step into the shoes (or rather, claws) of Hornet, a major character from the original game. The new kingdom she must escape is filled with over 150 new enemies, intense platforming, and deep exploration.
Combat mechanics have been tweaked — Hornet moves faster, heals differently with the new "Bind" ability, and uses acrobatic attacks with her needle weapon. The crafting system has also been expanded with new tools and bombs like the "Pimpillo."
Unlike the silent protagonist of Hollow Knight, Hornet is fully voiced, adding new depth to character interactions and storytelling.
Mapping works similarly to the original, encouraging exploration and gradual discovery. Players will start in unfamiliar territory, find maps, take on quests, and unlock tools to access new areas. And yes, Silksong will still test your platforming and boss-fighting skills to the fullest.
If you can’t make it to Gamescom, don’t worry — gameplay footage is expected to surface online, especially as fans and press get their hands on the demo. And for those in Australia, the ACMI showcase will offer another chance to try the game before launch.