Hollow Knight: Silksong Release Date Announcement Described as 'Somewhat Insensitive' by Hell is Us Creative Director

Jonathan Jacques-Belletête, the creative director of Hell is Us, has expressed that Team Cherry's surprise announcement of Hollow Knight: Silksong's release date just two weeks prior to launch was 'somewhat insensitive.' In a recent podcast appearance, Jacques-Belletête discussed the experience of releasing Hell is Us on the same day as Hollow Knight: Silksong, with only two weeks' notice of the shared release date of September 4, 2025. Upon learning of Team Cherry's plans, Rogue Factor decided to maintain their original release date. Jacques-Belletête stated, 'We were also like, 'no, I think we can get through the storm.' But it was a thing.' He acknowledged that changing the release date would have been a significant undertaking, particularly in terms of reimbursing and refunding player pre-orders. While Jacques-Belletête believes that Hollow Knight: Silksong's release impacted Hell is Us' performance, he emphasized that it was not the only factor, citing other releases during the same period, such as Cronos: The New Dawn. He noted, 'That's the thing nowadays, getting a window where you're pretty much alone is almost impossible. Fifteen years ago, kind of the mid to end of the summer was always a dead period. But there's no such thing anymore. It's constant madness.'