Hell is Us Developer Criticizes Hollow Knight: Silksong Release as “Callous” on Same Day Launch

After an extended anticipation spanning six years, the highly awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong launched on September 4, unleashing a wave of enthusiasm among fans and critics alike. The game not only garnered widespread acclaim but also caused several digital storefronts to crash under the sheer volume of players eager to experience it. Remarkably, Silksong outpaced its predecessor’s player count within mere moments of its release.

The level of excitement surrounding Silksong was so intense that many indie developers strategically postponed their game launches to avoid being overshadowed. However, some developers chose to embrace the challenge and release their titles on the same day. One such game, Hell is Us, found itself amid the chaos of the Silksong launch.

Impact of Silksong on Hell is Us Sales

During an appearance on the Skill Up podcast, Jacques Belletete, director of Hell is Us, discussed the implications of Team Cherry’s “shadow drop”strategy for Silksong, which was announced just two weeks prior to its release. Belletete noted: “They’re allowed to do what they did, there are no laws or rules against that. When you know you’re that big, I think a shadow drop is like, ‘wow.’ It’s the GTA 6 of indie… to shadow drop something like this is a little callous.”

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Although Silksong did not follow the traditional shadow drop format, the brief period between the announcement and launch posed significant challenges for Hell is Us. Belletete revealed that the team considered delaying their release, but ultimately decided to stick to their initial launch date.“We decided to keep the date, and I’m happy we did. We’re still much bigger than some of the smaller developers who would have been greatly affected, ” he articulated.

As the discussion progressed, Belletete expressed his belief that the presence of Silksong had a negative influence on the performance of Hell is Us. He remarked, “I can’t prove it; I don’t have any specific numbers, at least not at this time, but for sure it did.” He also noted that early September is generally a busy time for game releases, indicating that finding a solitary launch window is increasingly challenging.

While it’s difficult to quantify the exact impact of Silksong’s release on Hell is Us, it is clear that Silksong’s emergence as one of the standout titles of 2025 did not bode well for its competitors.

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