Team Cherry might skip the Game Awards — and honestly, that says a lot about Silksong

Team Cherry might skip the Game Awards – and that actually matters

Here’s the blunt version: Hollow Knight: Silksong picked up five Game Awards nominations, but its developers are seriously considering not flying to Los Angeles on December 11 to accept them. That caught my attention because it’s rare to see an indie studio publicly shrug at prestige in favor of finishing work – and because it tells you how Team Cherry sees its game in the wider, louder market.

• Key takeaway: Team Cherry is prioritizing development over the ceremony – they may literally miss out on awards exposure by staying in Australia.
• They think Silksong’s intense difficulty makes it a polarizing pick against the broadly-loved Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
• Despite the humility, Silksong is nominated in five major categories — and Team Cherry confirmed a DLC plus plans beyond Hollow Knight.

Breaking down what they actually said

In an interview with Bloomberg, cofounders Ari Gibson and William Pellen were unusually frank. Asked if they’d attend the Game Awards, Pellen replied simply, “Maybe not. We’re very busy.” Gibson was even more candid about Silksong’s odds: he told the outlet he thinks Silksong has “almost no chance” of beating Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, calling that game “exceptional and broadly accessible.” He contrasted that with Silksong, which he says sits “on a razor’s edge” — “a game that appeals to some but irritates others.”

Why this matters now

There are two layers to this. The first is cultural: Silksong had a long, fevered wait (nearly seven years for many fans) and landed as a critical hit that still split player opinion because of its steep difficulty. The second is industry-facing: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a cultural juggernaut right now, nominated in nearly every category — a feat the Game Awards hasn’t seen before — and it represents the kind of broadly appealing, high-consensus product that wins these juried awards.

What this means for gamers

First: team priorities. Skipping the ceremony to focus on ongoing development sounds like the correct choice if you care about the game itself and not just the optics. Developers burn out at award season too; staying in Australia to fix bugs, tune difficulty, or shepherd a DLC is a defensible move. But it’s also a missed PR moment — award wins can push indie games into new audiences, especially outside core fans.

Second: the honesty about Silksong’s divisive difficulty is welcome. Too many studios paint universal appeal over nuanced design. Gibson admitting Silksong is “on the razor’s edge” signals the studio knows its audience: this is not a game mass-market players will necessarily embrace, and that’s okay. If you liked the original Hollow Knight’s punishing precision, Silksong doubling down is promising. If you expect a friendly, universally accessible adventure, you’ll probably side with Clair Obscur.

Concrete details — nominations, platforms, and future plans

Silksong is nominated for five major categories: Game of the Year, Best Art Direction, Best Score, Best Independent Game, and Best Action/Adventure. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 appears in all of those categories except Action/Adventure — a sweep that highlights how consensus can sway awards.

Voting is also weighted: 90% of the vote comes from an international media jury (the Game Awards rules list outlets, including ActuGaming for France), and 10% from the public — so surprise victories are possible, but unlikely.

Team Cherry confirmed they’re working on a DLC for Silksong and are exploring projects “beyond Hollow Knight.” That’s big: it suggests the studio isn’t planning to milk the brand forever, and that players can expect new content and perhaps new IP down the line.

The gamer’s perspective — what I’m watching

I respect the decision to stay and ship better bits instead of chasing red-carpet moments. But let’s be realistic: awards boost discoverability, and indie studios use that momentum to reach casual players who don’t follow niche press. Team Cherry’s modesty sounds genuine — but it could also be a preemptive shrug if the outcome is uncertain. Either way, the more important story is the DLC and the promise of future projects; those will have more lasting impact on players than a statuette.

TL;DR

Team Cherry may skip the Game Awards to keep working — they think Silksong is divisive compared to the broadly loved Clair Obscur. Silksong still has five big nominations, a DLC in development, and the studio teases plans beyond Hollow Knight. For players, that’s better news than an award acceptance speech.