What to know

  • Early bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter are now slightly easier.
  • Sandcarver damage reduced; hitboxes improved for fairness.
  • Bellway and Bench costs lowered; rosary rewards increased.
  • Bug fixes remove glitches, soft-locks, and unfair enemy behavior.

Since its release, Hollow Knight: Silksong has been praised for its art, music, exploration—and its punishing difficulty. For many players, though, a few early bottlenecks and harsh costs have made progression steep. With the latest patch, version 1.0.28497, Team Cherry has eased several of those pressure points. If you got stuck early on, here’s what improves, and how those changes may change your run.

Key Changes That Lighten the Load

Here are the major changes that directly make parts of the experience easier or less punishing:

Area What was difficult / frustrating What patch changes
Early Game Bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter were early bosses that many players found quite challenging. High damage, unforgiving windows, and the learning curve made them roadblocks. Both bosses have received a slight difficulty reduction.
Enemy / Environmental Damage Sandcarvers inflicted damage that felt harsh, especially when you were still learning movement and evasion. Damage from Sandcarvers has been reduced.
Hitbox / Collision Issues Some environmental hazards had collision quirks that led to unfair hits. Hitboxes have been adjusted, such as a slight increase to pea pod collider scale, making them more readable.
Economy / Progression Costs Mid-game costs of Bellway paths and Bell Benches were steep, forcing extra grind and backtracking. Rewards from relics and courier deliveries sometimes felt underwhelming. Costs for Bellway and Bell Bench have been slightly reduced, while rosary rewards from relics, psalm cylinders, and courier deliveries have been increased.
Bug- & Frustration-Reduction Certain bugs and glitches made combat and exploration more frustrating, such as enemies getting stuck or odd movement bugs after specific actions. Multiple bug fixes reduce soft-locks, unfair hits, and out-of-bounds enemy issues.

Read: Silksong 'Sister Splinter' Guide: Location, Map, Rewards, Moveset, and Attack, and More

What That Means for Players

These specific tweaks won’t turn Silksong into an “easy” game overnight—but they can shift the balance from “barely manageable annoyance” toward “challenging but fair.” Some likely knock-on effects:

  • Better pacing early on: With easier bosses like Moorwing & Sister Splinter, fewer roadblocks in Act I allow smoother progress into the midgame.
  • Less punishment for mistakes: Reduced damage and better hitbox clarity mean fewer “cheap” hits or deaths you feel weren’t your fault.
  • More forgiving economy: If you felt strapped for rosaries or worried about spending for Bench/Bellway upgrades, the reduced costs and increased rewards help reduce backtracking.
  • Improved game flow: Bug fixes mean fewer soft-locks, glitches, or unfair deaths caused by awkward behavior.

What Still Doesn’t Change

To be clear: there are limits to the easing. These changes seem focused heavily on early and midgame. Expect:

  • Later-game bosses and areas to remain unchanged in difficulty.
  • The core challenge—timing, enemy patterns, and movement mastery—remains intact.
  • The word “slight” is literal here; the tweaks are modest, not sweeping.

Full patch notes

- Fixed situation where players could remain cloakless after Slab escape sequence.
- Fixed wish Infestation Operation often not being completable during the late game.
- Fixed wish Beast in the Bells not being completable when Bell Beast is summoned at the Bilewater Bellway during the late game.
- Fixed getting stuck floating after down-bouncing on certain projectiles.
- Fixed courier deliveries sometimes being inaccessible in the late game.
- Fixed craft bind behaving incorrectly when in memories.
- Fixed Lace tool deflect soft-lock at start of battle in Deep Docks.
- Fixed Claw Mirrors leaving Hornet inverted if taking damage during a specific moment while binding.
- Fixed Snitch Pick not giving rosaries and shell shards as intended.
- Fixed Swamp Squits becoming invincible if hit under water.
- Fixed instance where Lugoli could leave the arena and not return.
- Reduced chance of Silk Snippers in Chapel of the Reaper sometimes getting stuck out of bounds.
- Removed float override input (down + jump, after player has Faydown Cloak).
- Slight difficulty reduction in early game bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter.
- Reduction in damage from Sandcarvers.
- Slight increase in pea pod collider scale.
- Slight reduction in mid-game Bellway and Bell Bench prices.
- Slight increase in rosary rewards from relics and psalm cylinders.
- Increase in rosary rewards for courier deliveries.
- Various additional fixes and tweaks.

Silksong patch release timeline

The patch is already live on Steam and GOG, with Xbox and Switch updates arriving shortly. PlayStation players should receive the patch within 48 hours, barring unforeseen delays.

This patch is a welcome gesture from Team Cherry toward balance, especially for players who felt stuck early on. By easing a few of the stingiest parts—early bosses, midgame costs, and unfair bug-moments—the patch preserves Silksong’s signature challenge while making things feel more fair and accessible.

Team Cherry confirmed another update is in the works with further fixes under the works. You can find details on upcoming fixes and temporary workarounds here: https://silksong.com/help

If you paused early thinking the difficulty was insurmountable, this update gives a reason to return. For veterans, the changes may feel subtle—but even small tweaks can smooth out the journey and make progression more satisfying.