Hollow Knight: Silksong devs may skip the Game Awards, say they are „safe” becasue of Expedition 33

Team Cherry, the studio behind one of the year’s biggest games, Hollow Knight: Silksong, may not attend this year's Game Awards ceremony, despite being nominated for 5 different categories, including Game of the Year. This has been a monumental year for video games, and nearly any other year, Silksong may have been a shoo-in for Game of the Year, but games like Hades 2 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are getting a lot of attention as well. A few days ago, the celebrated indie team was interviewed by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who asked about their plans for the event.

Team Cherry may not attend the Game Awards, despite being nominated for Game of the Year

When asked by Schreier if the team would be traveling to LA for the ceremony, Team Cherry co-founder William Pellen said, “Maybe not. We’re pretty busy.” Schreier followed up, asking if they would instead “record a video message or something because you won’t be able to take the stage.” To which co-founder Ari Gibson responded, “This year, I think we’re safe. I think Expedition 33 – it’s exceptional and broadly palatable. Whereas we’re on that knife’s edge, where it appeals to some and infuriates others.” This likely refers to the high level of challenge Silksong offers, which did frustrate some players and led to the use of mods on Steam. But Team Cherry's confidence in Expedition 33 is notable.

Since its release in April, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been a fan favorite for Game of the Year. The JRPG-inspired game from Sandfall Interactive has already proven its support among fans by winning every category it was nominated for at the Golden Joysticks. Since it’s been nominated for the most awards ever by a single game at the Game Awards, it could have a strong chance of sweeping there, too. However, particularly regarding Game Award nominations, there has been ongoing discussion about whether Expedition 33 should qualify for specific categories.

You may remember shortly after the Game Awards nominees were announced that the developer behind the indie hit Megabonk withdrew their candidacy from the Debut Indie category. Their justification was that they have “made games in the past under different studio names,” explaining that Megabonk is not their debut game. Sandfall Interactive’s hit RPG is nominated for the same category. No one would argue that it isn’t a debut, but some wonder if it should qualify as an “indie” game. When the statement was shared on Reddit, one of the top comments brought this up, writing, “I love both E33 and Silksong, but to me adding E33 to the best indie category seems a bit too much.” Perhaps there should be separate categories for teams with smaller budgets or for those that are truly self-published, given that Kepler Interactive technically published Expedition 33.

Many users understood Team Cherry’s decision, despite Silksong being their personal GOTY winner. The team's explanation that they were “pretty busy” also sparked speculation and excitement about what they are working on. One user replied to the top comment, writing, “Well, as long as they get us a DLC quick, I won’t be complaining.” Other users also agreed that certain nominations didn't feel right, with one user writing,

It’s also worth noting that Team Cherry only said “maybe not,” so there is still a chance they will make an appearance. As for the prospect of DLC, considering how long Silksong took to be released, it’s probably best not to get any hopes up about something significant arriving any time soon.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

September 4, 2025

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• TGA / The Game Awards
• Team Cherry
• Hollow Knight (series)