Silksong Dev Clears Up ESRB Confusion

Hollow Knight: Silksong won’t feature any kind of microtransactions, a Team Cherry official has confirmed. This clarification was offered in response to a recent Hollow Knight: Silksong age rating that suggested the opposite.

Following over six years of development, the much-anticipated Hollow Knight follow-up is currently on track for release in the second half of 2025. Ahead of its launch, the game’s Xbox Store page was recently updated with a “Teen” ESRB rating. The accompanying description cited “in-game purchases” as one of the factors preventing a lower classification, suggesting that Hollow Knight: Silksong would include packs of “random items” that can be obtained for real money.

Opening Cinematic, Hornet wakes up and regains her powers

9 Things Confirmed for Hollow Knight: Silksong

The wait for Hollow Knight: Silksong might finally be coming to an end. This is what is known about the highly anticipated sequel right now.

Some fans immediately inquired about the listing’s veracity with Team Cherry representative Matthew ‘Leth’ Griffin, who dismissed the rating as inaccurate. “‘In-Game Purchases’ should not be listed there; there isn’t anything like that in the game,” the PR rep explained, as first picked up by PCGamesN. In a separate social media post shared on June 13, Griffin promised to look into the erroneous Hollow Knight: Silksong listing.

Hollow Knight: Silksong May Still Be Waiting for Official ESRB Rating

Within 24 hours of that pledge, the game’s Xbox Store page was updated to reflect a lower rating: Everyone 10+, citing “mild blood” and “fantasy violence” as the key elements informing the classification. This rating is consistent with the Voidheart Edition of the first game. However, the ESRB database doesn’t yet include a Silksong entry, suggesting that the newly revised Xbox Store rating is merely a placeholder. Alternatively, publishers can request confidentiality from the ESRB to delay public disclosure of a game’s rating—a step Team Cherry may have taken in this case.

While the ESRB database has yet to include any mention of Silksong, the game has been rated in Australia since April 2024. However, the timing of such age classifications is not always indicative of a game’s development status, as ratings are typically based on submitted descriptions—something that can occur at any stage, though it usually happens closer to completion.

“In-Game Purchases” should not be listed there; there isn’t anything like that in the game.

Team Cherry’s confirmation that Silksong won’t feature microtransactions marks the second time in less than a week the developer has addressed confusion about its upcoming title. Shortly after the June 2025 Xbox Games Showcase, the studio clarified that Hollow Knight: Silksong‘s release date is not tied to the ROG Xbox Ally X, a forthcoming handheld that was shown running the game during the event. The metroidvania itself is still expected to launch in the second half of 2025, most likely around the holiday season.