Silksong’s Charm Lost in Translation: Chinese Reviews Turn 'Mostly Negative'

What to know

• Silksong’s reviews in China have dropped to "mostly negative" due to poor and confusing Simplified Chinese translations.
• Players describe the translation as jarring, overly archaic, and disconnected from the game's intended tone.
• Team Cherry, the developer, has promised rapid updates to address translation problems.

Silksong’s problems with Chinese translation have cast a shadow over its otherwise glowing global launch. While players across the world celebrate the sequel to Hollow Knight, the Chinese community is pushing back—loudly.

Silksong's Chinese translation is a major mishap

Chinese gamers expecting a seamless, immersive experience were met with a strange fusion of ancient and modern prose, turning Silksong’s story into a “Wuxia novel” parody. The text, dense and flowery, made simple NPC dialogue and hints hard to understand. Many players felt forced to switch the game’s language to English just to piece together basic plot points.

Critics compared the translation to “Old English” or “Elizabethan improv,” and reviews called it “rubbish” and “unplayable.” The translation’s dissonance didn’t just hurt storytelling, it left players disconnected from Silksong’s world and characters.

Silksong review bombs and fallout in China

Steam’s new language-based review system meant Chinese-language feedback stayed isolated, but the impact was severe: only 38% of Simplified Chinese reviews are positive, compared to 90% in other languages.

Over 14,000 negative reviews have been posted, and nearly 12,000 of them are in Simplified Chinese, dragging Silksong to a “Mixed” or “Mostly Negative” rating for China.

For a game where Chinese players now represent the largest audience on Steam, such a backlash matters. It isn’t just about narrative confusion—the frustration reached a level that made global headlines.

Steam Community :: 両儀 式 :: Review for Hollow Knight: Silksong

老夫百有四十岁矣，光绪爷在位时，也曾揣着八股文稿挤过贡院的门。光绪三十一年那回秋闱，主考大人把我卷子扔在案上，拍着桌子骂“句读混乱，辞不达意”，说我写的不是文章，是“混沌语”，秀才功名自然是黄粱一梦。 后来城里办新学堂，说要教“新学”，老夫想着好歹识几个字，便去谋了个教席，专教童生们认方块字。没成想，才教了两月，校长就攥着我写的板书来寻我，说我“用字古不古、今不今，把‘先生’叫‘老儒’，把‘课本’说‘册页’，孩子们听得云里雾里”，末了还叹口气：“您这中文，连蒙童都教不了。” 这话像巴掌似的，把我脸打得火辣辣，只得卷了铺盖走人。 打那以后，老夫总躲着人写字，怕人笑我“连祖宗的话都讲不明白”。今儿个见小儿玩那《丝之歌》，凑过去一看简中翻译，倒惊得老夫直拍大腿——这译笔，竟和老夫当年一个模样！刚读半句以为是古卷，再读半句又觉是白话，古不古、今不今，比老夫当年教童生时说的“半文半白话”还别扭！ 这下老夫倒不臊得慌了：原来不是老夫中文差，是这世上真有“知音”！只是可惜了这好游戏，被这般译笔搅得没了滋味，若当年那主考大人见了，怕是要把这译本也批个“不伦不类”，扔出贡院，再骂一句“误人视听”！

STEAM红温豌豆

Team Cherry steps up to fix it, quick!

Team Cherry didn't let the criticism linger. Matthew Griffin, the studio's marketing and publishing lead, addressed Chinese-speaking fans directly on X, acknowledging "quality issues" with the current translation. He assured everyone that improvements roll out over the coming weeks, thanking them for the feedback and support.

This swift response shows the small Aussie team's commitment, especially as they navigate post-launch chaos. While French and Japanese players note minor inaccuracies too, those haven't sparked the same uproar, keeping reviews positive there. For Chinese fans, this promise offers hope, potentially flipping those mixed scores as patches land.

If Team Cherry delivers on promised improvements, Silksong may regain favor with Chinese players. Until then, the cautionary tale stands: translation can be the real “final boss” for any global release.