Ambitious indie projects are always a gamble in the modern gaming space, and for as many success stories as there are, there are nearly an equal number of high-profile cancellations. While the recent announcement fromMinecraftcompetitorHytalemay come as a disappointment to many fans who have been following its development since 2018, the writing has been on the wall for some time now. Although it’s not quite in the same boat asHytale,Hollow Knight: Silksonghas seen a similarly lengthy development cycle, with many questioning if it would ever be released in the six years since it was announced.
BothHytaleandHollow Knight: Silksongseemed to balloon into massive projects that outgrew the scopes of their initial conceptions. What began as DLC for the originalHollow Knightquickly developed into a full-fledged sequel inSilksong, requiring a much longer development period than initially anticipated by Team Cherry. WhileSilksongfans have been waiting for what seems like ages for a release,Hytalewas in development for even longer, which makes the news of its cancellation sting all the more.
Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hytale Have Seen Similar Development Cycles
Hytale Was Born From Minecraft’s Biggest Multiplayer Fan Server
LongtimeMinecraftplayers may be familiar with the Hypixel server, which boasted a variety of popular mini-games like Bed Wars and Skyblock created by the Hypixel company. After growing an audience ofMinecraftfans through its multiplayer server, Hypixel Studio set out to develop its own survival crafting game to serve as a competitor toMinecraft.Hytalewas officially announced in 2018as a standalone game from Hypixel Studio, but had been in development since 2015.
Hytaleaimed to not just be a procedurally generated survival crafting experience likeMinecraft, but integrate more robust RPG mechanics, as well as multiplayer mini-games and mod support like the Hypixel server had become known for. AsHytale’s scope grew, developerHypixel Studio was acquired byLeague of Legendsdeveloper Riot Games, lending credence to the ambitious scale Hypixel Studio had for the game. However, the stream of updates on the project continued to reveal a game that was getting too big for its britches, which makes its recent cancellation a disappointing but not surprising outcome.
The main reason cited forHytale’s cancellation was the ever-growing scope that Hypixel Studio believed it couldn’t deliver on.
Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Development Echoes Hytale’s
Silksonghas had a long and largely quiet development, keeping fans perpetually bracing for a potential cancellation announcement.Silksongwas first revealed nearly as far back asHytale, with its first official trailer dropping in February 2019. The crumbs of updates fans followingSilksong’s developmenthave gotten in the years since have instilled hope that the game will eventually release, but the continued teases, coupled with a series of delays and reports of an increasingly ambitious scope, makeSilksong’s fate seem like it’s still up in the air.
After Hytale’s Cancellation, Silksong Can Still Write Its Own Happy Ending
The scope ofSilksongmay have grown throughout its development, but what should give fans more confidence in its eventual release than that ofHytale’s is the fact that the game has consistently been present at major showcases. Despite the frustration some fans felt afterSilksongwas namedropped at Summer Game Fest 2025, only for it to be aDeadpool VRfakeout, the fact that it’s still being acknowledged at a large industry outing is a positive sign. TheXbox Game Showcase 2025 provided further evidence ofSilksong’s existencewith the confirmation that players will be able to play the game on the ROG Xbox Ally handheld on day one of the console’s release.
Credible leakers within the gaming industry have suggested thatSilksongwill release before the end of Summer 2025, andSilksong’s own Marketing Manager has confirmed the game will release by Holiday 2025. However, the most hopeful sign thatSilksongis still on track to release is the fact that the game will be part of an exhibit at the Australian museum, ACMI, in September, where it will be playable in some capacity. If Team Cherry is confident enough to showcase the game at an exhibit like this, then fans can be much more sure thatSilksongwon’t end up in the same boat asHytale, despite similarly concerning development cycles. However, without a concrete release date, there is still some lingering doubt thatSilksongwill ever see the light of day.
