After Silksong DLC, Team Cherry Is Thinking About Making a Brand New Game Rather Than Hollow Knight 3 — Their Only Time Concern Is a Morbid One: ‘Death’
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Team Cherry co-founders Ari Gibson and William Pellen shared their thoughts on the future of the studio, hinting at the possibility of creating a new game rather than immediately diving into a third installment of their acclaimed series, Hollow Knight. The discussion comes on the heels of the anticipated release of Hollow Knight: Silksong, which has been in development for seven years—far longer than originally intended. During the interview, Gibson candidly expressed a concern that has been weighing on many game developers: the limited time they have left to create. He stated, “The only time concern really is — and we’ve talked about this before — death,” highlighting the reality of their lengthy development cycles and the desire to produce more games within their lifetimes.
This introspection is not unique to Team Cherry. Prominent figures in the gaming industry have also grappled with their mortality while considering their creative legacies. Bethesda’s Todd Howard mentioned the possibility that The Elder Scrolls 6 could be his last game, given the extensive time required for development. Similarly, renowned game designer Hideo Kojima reflected on his own health challenges during the pandemic, prompting him to contemplate how many more projects he could realistically complete. Kojima even prepared a “will” of sorts, ensuring that his ideas would be preserved for his team in case he was unable to continue working.
Despite the somber undertones of their reflections, Gibson and Pellen remain optimistic about their creative future. They have not ruled out returning to the Hollow Knight universe but are also eager to explore new concepts. Gibson emphasized that any future projects would still embody the essence of their previous work—immersive worlds filled with unique characters and formidable bosses. While Team Cherry is considering various directions, they are committed to maintaining the core elements that have defined their games, ensuring that fans will still find familiar experiences in whatever they create next.
Team Cherry has revealed it’s thinking about making a brand new game rather than a Hollow Knight 3 — but admitted that their only time concern is “death.”
Co-founders Ari Gibson and William Pellen took seven years to make
Silksong
, the hotly anticipated follow-up to breakout hit Hollow Knight — although they didn’t plan to. During
a sweeping interview with Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier
, in which the duo
confirmed plans for Silksong DLC
, talk turned to what’s next.
It sounds like Team Cherry has yet to decide whether to make Hollow Knight 3 or a brand new video game, but Gibson and Pellen
are
thinking about how much time they have left to make video games at all.
“… we do have other games that we plan to make,” Gibson said. “The only time concern really is — and we’ve talked about this before — death. It’s not that far off if you spend seven years per project, and potentially add another two. So it’d be nice to do a few more games. Apparently our timeframe still allows us to fit a few more in. Short of an unexpected tragedy.”
It’s a grim thought, but one that’s been on the minds of a number of high profile video game developers. In 2023, ahead of the release of Starfield, Bethesda development chief Todd Howard said
The Elder Scrolls 6 may be the last game in the fantasy series he makes
, given how long the Microsoft-owned studio takes to make its games.
“And then as we look to an Elder Scrolls 6, that is one where… I probably shouldn’t say this, but if I do the math, I’m not getting any younger,” Howard said. “How long do people play Elder Scrolls for? That may be the last one I do. I don’t know.”
In May, 62-year-old Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima revealed he had thought about his own mortality during the Covid-19 pandemic, during which he became very sick. “Turning 60 was less of a turning point in my life than my experiences during the pandemic,” he said. “I fell seriously ill at that time, and also had an eye operation. Until then, I didn’t think I was old, you know? I just didn’t feel my age, and I assumed I would be able to create for as long as I live.
“But then I became sick, and I couldn’t create anything. And I saw lots of people around me passing away at that time. I was confronted with death. Of course, I recovered, but now I was thinking, ‘Wait, how many years do I have left to make a game or a film?’ Perhaps I have 10 years?”
Kojima even put a number of ideas on a USB stick and gave it to his assistant during the pandemic “kind of like a will,”
at a time when he was worried about his studio, Kojima Productions, and making sure the staff would continue to get paid if he was unable to make games.
As for Team Cherry, Gibson and Pellen said whatever they end up doing next, whether it’s a brand new game or Hollow Knight 3, it’ll be along similar lines to the games the studio has made before.
“We have said we’ll go elsewhere as well,” Gibson said. “Although we’ve also said those experiences will still be about exploring big worlds full of weird characters and giant bosses and whatnot. So there would be a through line there that people will be familiar with. That’s not to say we won’t return to these Hollow Knight worlds. We do have ideas around what forms those would take. But we also don’t want to be exclusively people that make Hollow Knight.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
