"Hollow Knight: Silksong Sprite Sheet Sparks Curiosity About Hornet's Cloak Removal"

Yesterday, IGN unveiled that Hollow Knight: Silksong will be playable at an Australian museum in September 2025, and released a sprite sheet from the eagerly awaited game, sparking a flurry of online reactions.

"Is there ever a need for a sprite of naked Hornet?" questioned a Reddit user in a thread analyzing the sprite sheet.

Among the numerous images of Silksong protagonist Hornet, depicted in various combat and casual poses, there's one showing her holding her cloak under her arm. (We've included a close-up below, but you can also spot it on the right-hand side of the original sheet, just below the topmost ring):

A close-up of the controversial sprite, located on the right-hand side of the original image."In what game scenario would Hornet need to remove her cloak and carry it like a tired dad coming home from work? This is just weird," remarked one Reddit user.

"Is this actually in the game? There's no way they'd use this sprite. Is that really what she looks like underneath?" another user speculated, while someone else exclaimed, "WHAT SCENARIO CALLS FOR THIS SPRITE?"

The conversation quickly took a playful turn.

"No need for mods now," stated one commenter, and another chimed in, "Looks like we're heading towards an ESRB 18+ rating with this."

"HORNET, PUT YOUR CLOAK BACK ON! THAT'S INDECENT, WHAT THE HECK," admonished another thread's original poster, with responses like, "This looks off," and "this is totally unnecessary."

"I'm not a fan of this," another user declared.

While the most likely scenario might involve upgrading or changing Hornet's cloak, for now, let your imaginations run wild, Hornet enthusiasts.

Hollow Knight: Silksong 2025 Screenshots

View 5 ImagesHollow Knight: Silksong, developed by Team Cherry, is one of the most eagerly awaited games globally, consistently topping Steam's wishlist charts. The game made a short appearance at Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct last month, and soon after, Team Cherry confirmed a 2025 release window, bringing much-needed relief to its dedicated fanbase. With the game set to be playable at Australia’s national museum of screen culture, ACMI, starting September 18, speculation is rife that a release might happen around August, though no official confirmation has been given yet.

Silksong will be showcased at the Melbourne museum as part of the Game Worlds exhibition, which will also feature displays exploring the game’s design and artistic direction.