Hornet's Cloak Removal in Hollow Knight: Silksong Sparks Fan Theories

Yesterday, IGN unveiled that Hollow Knight: Silksong will be playable at an Australian museum starting in September 2025, and alongside this announcement, they shared a sprite sheet from the eagerly awaited game. The internet, as expected, erupted with reactions.

One particular image from the sprite sheet sparked a heated discussion on Reddit. Among various poses of the game's protagonist, Hornet, there's one where she is seen casually carrying her cloak under one arm. This image, featured in the right-hand side of the original sheet, immediately below the topmost ring, drew significant attention:

A close-up of the contentious sprite, which has led to comments like, "In what situation [is] making a sprite of naked Hornet necessary?" and "What kind of situation in-game calls for her to remove her cloak and hold it like she's an exhausted dad returning from work? This is cursed." Other users expressed disbelief and curiosity, with questions like, "Is this real???? There’s no way this is a sprite that is going to be in Silksong. Is that just what she looks like????" and exclamations of, "IN WHAT KIND OF SITUATION WOULD THEY EVEN NEED THIS SPRITE?"

The discussion took a humorous turn, with some suggesting the sprite could lead to an ESRB 18+ rating, and others playfully stating, "So, we don't have to bother making a mod." There were also more direct responses like, "HORNET PUT YOUR CLOAK BACK ON THAT'S SO INDECENT WHAT THE HELL," and "This looks so wrong," alongside sentiments of, "this is completely unnecessary" and "I do not like this."

A plausible explanation might be that players will have the ability to upgrade or change Hornet's cloak in the game. Until then, fans are left to speculate and enjoy the lively discussions.

Hollow Knight: Silksong 2025 Screenshots

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Team Cherry’s sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, has been topping the Steam wishlist charts for years, reflecting its status as one of the most anticipated games globally. The game made a brief appearance at Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct last month, and soon after, Team Cherry confirmed a 2025 release window, much to the relief of its patient fans. With the announcement that the game will be playable at Australia’s national museum of screen culture, ACMI, starting September 18, some speculate a possible launch around August, although no official confirmation has been made yet.

Hollow Knight: Silksong will be part of the Game Worlds exhibition at the Melbourne museum, which will also feature displays exploring the game's design and artistic direction.