Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight is a hand-drawn 2D action-adventure by Team Cherry. Beneath the small town of Dirtmouth lies the crumbled kingdom of Hallownest: a sprawling labyrinth of caves, abandoned cities, gardens and dangerous ruins. You explore it as a silent knight, get to know the inhabitants and try to understand the story of a mysterious plague.

The game combines precise platforming and melee combat with free exploration of a connected world. Instead of working through a rigid mission list, you discover paths yourself and reach previously blocked areas with new abilities. It is a single-player adventure, not a cooperative online game.

Hollow Knight was released on Feb 24, 2017 for PC. On June 12, 2018 the Nintendo Switch version followed, and on Sept 25, 2018 the PS4 version as the Voidheart Edition, and the corresponding Xbox One release. The console versions included the content released up to that point as well as all four free content packs added later.

On Feb 5, 2026, Team Cherry released specially adapted versions for Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 version is listed in the German PlayStation Store with Feb 6, 2026. These re-releases offer higher resolutions, better frame rates and additional effects. They are native versions and not merely the older version via backward compatibility.

Native versions are available for PC (Windows, macOS and Linux), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and, since Feb 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The PC operating systems here belong to a shared PC product family.

Team Cherry offers existing owners of the older Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox versions a free upgrade to the respective new console version. This is an upgrade within each platform, not a transferable purchase between PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox and Steam. Team Cherry initially reported an access issue for certain PlayStation Plus catalog licenses, without giving a blanket guarantee for every subscription setup.

Hallownest consists of large, interconnected regions. New areas are often separated not just by doors but by difficult jumps or previously impassable obstacles. Over the course of the adventure, the Knight gains movement abilities such as the sprint and double jump, which make earlier paths interesting again.

In combat, you use the nail as a melee weapon, dodge attack patterns and later use spells. Enemies and breakable objects drop Soul, which is used for healing or magic. Save points in the form of benches determine where a journey continues after a defeat.

Team Cherry expanded the original Hollow Knight after launch with four major free content updates. Hidden Dreams added more bosses, among other things, The Grimm Troupe an additional quest line and new charms, Lifeblood various reworks and Godmaster an extensive set of new boss challenges.

The four packs are part of the regular content of current editions and do not require a separate purchase of an expansion campaign. The soundtrack products additionally offered on the Steam store are to be distinguished from these: they are music releases, not a fifth gameplay DLC. The PS4 Voidheart Edition already came with the four content packs.

Behind Dirtmouth, the world branches into mushroom areas, ancient transit systems, overgrown landscapes and the remains of a city. Maps must be supplemented via the cartographer Cornifer and accessories. Compass, quill and markers make a difference: if you've got lost, you can't simply open a fully filled-in world map.

The order of discoveries is largely left to players. Shortcuts and transit stations shorten later routes. Dialogue, found items and the landscape itself tell of the kingdom's past, rather than dictating a full story through long cutscenes.

With Charms, you can tailor the Knight to your own style. Some help with navigation, others change reach, healing, spells or how you deal with enemies. The selection is limited by a limited number of charm slots, so not all benefits can be equipped at once.

In addition, the nail and several movement and spell abilities become stronger over the course of the journey. Unlike a classic loot RPG, Hollow Knight does not work with rigid classes or a complete pool of equipment loot: progress depends heavily on which abilities you discover and how you combine them.

Not all of Hallownest's residents are hostile. However, the abandoned regions hold numerous infected creatures and bosses whose movements and phases must be learned. Progress therefore also comes from practice: after a defeat, returning to the last bench often remains part of the challenge.

In the Hunter's Journal, discovered creatures are documented. After completing the normal campaign, the Steel Soul mode unlocks as a particularly hard variant in which death is permanent. This mode is a permanent part of the game, not a time-limited event.

The campaign is designed for exploration and boss fights for one player. Steam lists Hollow Knight as a single-player title, and the PlayStation Store also lists one local player. Shared online play or official crossplay is not among the confirmed features of the base game.

On PC, Steam supports cloud saves and controller input, among other things. The store does not advertise a built-in co-op mode. Fan-made mods should not be equated with official mod support promised by the developer or a separate DLC.

On Windows, Steam requires at least Windows 10 (Version 21H1), an Intel Core i3-3240 or AMD FX-4300, 4 GB RAM, a GTX 560 Ti with 1 GB or Radeon HD 7750, and 9 GB of free storage. Recommended are 8 GB RAM, an Intel Core i5-3470 and a GTX 1050 with 2 GB or Radeon R9 380.

For macOS, Steam lists at least Big Sur 11 and a Metal-compatible graphics solution; for Linux, Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 in 64-bit. This information comes from the current store listing and does not necessarily match the hardware requirements of each original 2017 version.

The editions announced on Feb 5, 2026 for Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S use higher resolutions, improved frame rates and additional visual effects. Nintendo explicitly lists a separate product for the Switch 2 edition with a release date of Feb 5.

Team Cherry released parallel improvements for the existing versions. For PC, native support for 21:9 and 16:10 aspect ratios is the most relevant lasting change. Some internal adjustments come from work on Silksong. These are technical changes to the original Hollow Knight, not a takeover of the plot or content of the sequel.