Hollow Knight: Silksong Sprite Sheet Has Players Wondering 'What Calls For Hornet to Remove her Cloak Like an Exhausted Dad Home From Work?' 

Yesterday, IGN revealed Hollow Knight: Silksong will be playable in an Australian museum in September 2025, and shared a sprite sheet taken from the highly anticipated game. And then… Well. The internet internet-ed.

"In what situation [is] making a sprite of naked Hornet necessary?" asked one commenter on a Reddit thread dissecting the exclusive sheet.

Within the dozens of images of Silksong star Hornet, most of which show her in a range of battle-ready and relaxed poses, there is one that shows Hornet casually carrying her cloak under one arm. (We've included a close-up below, but you can also see it on the original sheet on the right-hand side of the image, immediately under the uppermost ring):

"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," opined one redditor.

"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????" posited another, while another shouted: "IN WHAT KIND OF SITUATION WOULD THEY EVEN NEED THIS SPRITE?"

And then… well then it all gets a little thirsty.

"So, we don't have to bother making a mod," asserted one respondent, while another said: "We're going straight to ESRB 18+ for this one."

"HORNET PUT YOUR CLOAK BACK ON THAT'S SO INDECENT WHAT THE HELL," chastized another thread OP, to which someone replied: "This looks so wrong," and "this is completely unnecessary."

"I do not like this," announced another.

For what it's worth, the most plausible explanation could be that we'll be able to upgrade or change Hornet's cloak… but for now, let your imaginations run riot, Hornet fans.

Team Cherry’s sequel is one of the most anticipated games in the world right now, topping the Steam wishlist charts for years. Silksong made a brief appearance at Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct last month, and soon after Team Cherry nailed down the 2025 release window, much to the relief of its very patient fans. And now, given we know it will be playable for those who can be at Australia’s national museum of screen culture, ACMI, from September 18, some are speculating that we could be looking at a launch around August… although nothing's confirmed as yet, of course.

Silksong will be playable at the Melbourne museum as part of a video game exhibition called Game Worlds, which will also include displays that delve into the game’s design and artistic direction.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.