Hornet's Cloak Removal in Silksong Sparks Player Curiosity

Yesterday, IGN unveiled that Hollow Knight: Silksong will be available for play at an Australian museum in September 2025, and shared an exclusive sprite sheet from the much-awaited game, igniting a flurry of online reactions.

"In what situation [is] making a sprite of naked Hornet necessary?" one user queried on a Reddit thread analyzing the sprite sheet in detail.

Among the numerous images of Silksong's protagonist, Hornet, depicted in various combat-ready and relaxed stances, one particular sprite caught everyone's attention. It shows Hornet casually carrying her cloak under one arm, which you can see in the close-up below or on the right-hand side of the original sheet, just under the topmost ring:

A close-up of the controversial sprite, located on the right-hand side of the original image."What kind of scenario in-game would require her to remove her cloak and hold it like a weary dad coming home from work? This feels off," remarked another Redditor.

"Is this for real? There's no way this sprite will be in Silksong. Is that really what she looks like?" another user speculated, while yet another exclaimed: "IN WHAT KIND OF SITUATION WOULD THEY EVEN NEED THIS SPRITE?"

The discussion took a playful turn as some users got a bit carried away.

"So, we don't have to bother with making a mod," one user asserted confidently, while another added: "This is definitely pushing the boundaries towards an ESRB 18+ rating."

"HORNET, PUT YOUR CLOAK BACK ON! That's so indecent, what the heck!" admonished another thread starter, prompting responses like: "This looks so wrong," and "this is completely unnecessary."

"I do not like this," another user declared.

While the most likely explanation might be that players will have the option to upgrade or change Hornet's cloak, for now, fans can let their imaginations soar.

Hollow Knight: Silksong 2025 Screenshots

View 5 ImagesTeam Cherry's sequel is one of the most eagerly awaited games globally, consistently topping Steam's wishlist charts. Silksong made a brief appearance at Nintendo's Switch 2 Direct last month, and soon after, Team Cherry confirmed a 2025 release window, much to the relief of its patient fanbase. With the game set to be playable at Australia's national museum of screen culture, ACMI, from September 18, some speculate a possible launch around August, though nothing has been confirmed yet.

Silksong will be part of a video game exhibition called Game Worlds at the Melbourne museum, featuring displays that explore the game's design and artistic direction.