Hollow Knight: Silksong's Sea of Sorrow May Face a Delay

A newly revealed instruction manual describes Sea of Sorrow as a giant expansion but only lists its release as “coming soon,” raising questions about its previously announced 2026 launch window.

Hollow Knight: Silksong's next expansion, Sea of Sorrow, may not launch in its previously scheduled 2026 release window. Team Cherry has not officially confirmed any changes to its plans, but a new page from the game's physical edition has raised concerns about a delay. The way the expansion is described, especially in the release details, has led some fans to speculate.

The topic started after the impending physical edition of Hollow Knight: Silksong surfaced online. The standard version will contain the game, a map by Ruben Molina, and a manual. These additions are noteworthy in themselves, but the manual also offers fresh information about Team Cherry’s plans for future content.

When you open the instruction manual, the first page focuses on the upcoming content packs.

“The world of Hollow Knight: Silksong will expand with free content packs that will deliver new friends, new abilities and deadly enemies to new adventures,” the page reads. This is a notable move, as it suggests Team Cherry intends to deliver more than a single expansion as post-launch support. The inclusion of new friends is intriguing, as it adds another dimension that earlier debates haven't emphasized much.

New powers, new adversaries, and these add-ons can give players more reasons to return to Pharloom after finishing the main quest. The instruction booklet also gives a slightly longer explanation of Sea of Sorrow. Cherry Team describes the upcoming expansion as a voyage over and under a salt-ridden ocean of mystery and danger. The ocean description has been seen before, but the manual introduces one particularly fascinating word: gigantic.

This could mean Sea of Sorrow will be much larger than some fans expected. Previous ideas about places like Faroon Bay and the Plasmium Lab might account for only a modest fraction of the expansion. If Team Cherry is deliberately calling the project enormous, many more locales, encounters, and adventures may be on the way.

The biggest worry, however, comes from the release info displayed just under the expansion’s emblem.

Previously slated for a 2026 release, Sea of Sorrow is now listed as “coming soon” in the manual. The language has invited two possible explanations. The first is that Sea of Sorrow might be delayed beyond its initial 2026 release timeframe. If so, Team Cherry might announce the move in the coming weeks. The expansion's scope could be quite broad; thus, it may take more development time to deliver what the studio has planned.

The second scenario is far more hopeful. Team Cherry may have left out a precise release date in the hardcopy instruction manual to avoid printing out-of-date material. This may be a simple, practical option, as physical editions are created long before release and a general ‘coming soon’ label would suffice.

Importantly, Team Cherry hasn't confirmed either reason, so fans should take any delay rumors with a grain of salt. Even if Sea of Sorrow doesn't make its 2026 release date, it wouldn't be the end of the world. And, understandably, fans might be unhappy, especially because Team Cherry has revealed its targeted delivery timeframe in the past.

Calling the expansion gigantic, however, suggests the company may be working on something far bigger than first thought. If waiting longer means more development time, and hence greater material, unique locales and significant adventures, maybe it’s worth it in the end. For now, fans of Hollow Knight: Silksong will have to wait for an official announcement.