Silksong won at the Game Awards 2025

Hollow Knight: Silk Song felt like it would never come out, but it sure did. The launch was so momentous that it effectively broke digital game marketplaces like Steam, putting them out of business for several hours, and it seems the hype was justified. Hollow Knight Silksong is one of the top-rated games of 2025, earning an impressive 91 Top Critic Average on OpenCritic.

Silk song takes place after the events of the first Hollow Knight and follows Hornet, a character quite different from her mute predecessor. Her journey is defined by major differences in gameplay and storytelling, both of which are ultimately more complex and multifaceted than what came before. While this added complexity (not to mention the difficulty) hasn't been to everyone's liking, a large number of players and critics seem to agree that Silk song is a marked improvement. That is reflected in its nominations.

Silksong TGA 2025 nominations

Game of the year
Best Art Direction
Best score and music
Best independent game
Best Action Adventure Game (WON)

Hollow Knight Silksong won 1 award out of 5 nominations.

Family

I don't think I can go back to Hollow Knight After Silksong

I love Hollow Knight, but after experiencing Silksong's new addition, I don't know if I can go back to the original anytime soon.

Hollow Knight Silksong at The Game Awards 2025

Hollow Knight Silksong was one of a staggering three indies nominated for Game of the Year 2025. Unsurprisingly, it was also nominated for Best Independent Game, along with other GOTY nominees Hades 2 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

It was also nominated for Best Action Adventure Game, going head-to-head with heavy hitters such as Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. As such, it stands out as not only the only indie game in the category, but also the only 2D game. Its best score and nomination is another unsurprising honor, as Christopher Larkins Silk song The soundtrack has been hailed as just as powerful, if not more so, than its predecessor. But this category was particularly competitive, as its fellow candidates, such as Hades 2 and Clair Obscurgenerally considered to have exceptional scores. The Best Art Direction category is just as competitive, pitting Silk song towards 2025 TGA mainstays which Hades 2 and Clair Obscur once again.

What awards did Hollow Knight Silksong win at Game Awards 2025?

It doesn't look like Hollow Knight Silksongs brutal difficulty had too much of an impact on gaming awards performance, as it won Best Action-Adventure Game. In this category, it beat some of 2025's most significant AAA titles, and if nothing else, this win drives home Silk songs airtight combat and cross mechanics.

That said, it's a bit surprising Hollow Knight Silksong didn't finish The Game Awards 2025 with more awards under its belt. It's a little anticlimactic, to be sure — Team Cherry's return to the industry probably would have warranted more accolades in any other year. But 2025 was definitely not like other years in gaming.

Yes, while Hollow Knight Silksong widely considered an improvement over its prominent predecessor and arguably the best metroidvania in years, it faced stiff competition. And unlike the first Hollow Knightit didn't have charming debut ambitions on its side. Expedition 33 is somehow the unexpected indie success story that Hollow Knight was back in 2017. It's also fundamentally more innovative and unique by virtue of being a new IP, while Silk song builds on what came before. The pure news in Clair Obscurcombined with its myriad strengths, may help explain why it struck Silk song in every other category the latter was nominated for.