Hornet's Cloak Removal in Hollow Knight: Silksong Sparks Fan Theories

Yesterday, IGN unveiled that Hollow Knight: Silksong will be playable at an Australian museum in September 2025 and released a sprite sheet from this eagerly awaited game, sparking a frenzy of reactions across the internet.

One Reddit user humorously questioned the necessity of a sprite depicting Hornet without her cloak, asking, "In what situation [is] making a sprite of naked Hornet necessary?" The sprite sheet includes numerous images of Hornet in various poses, both in battle and at rest, but one particular image of her casually carrying her cloak under one arm caught the community's attention. You can see this sprite on the right-hand side of the original sheet, immediately under the uppermost ring:

A close-up of the controversial sprite, located on the right-hand side of the original image.

Comments ranged from bemusement to disbelief. One user remarked, "What kind of situation in-game calls for her to remove her cloak and hold it like she's an exhausted dad returning from work? This is cursed." Another questioned its authenticity, "Is this real???? There’s no way this is a sprite that is going to be in Silksong. Is that just what she looks like????" And yet another demanded, "IN WHAT KIND OF SITUATION WOULD THEY EVEN NEED THIS SPRITE?"

The conversation took a playful turn with some users joking about the implications of the sprite. One user quipped, "So, we don't have to bother making a mod," while another teased, "We're going straight to ESRB 18+ for this one." Amidst the humor, some expressed discomfort, with comments like, "HORNET PUT YOUR CLOAK BACK ON THAT'S SO INDECENT WHAT THE HELL," and "This looks so wrong," "this is completely unnecessary." Another user simply stated, "I do not like this."

While the internet speculated wildly, a more plausible theory suggests that players might be able to upgrade or change Hornet's cloak in the game. Until more details are revealed, fans are left to let their imaginations run wild.

Hollow Knight: Silksong 2025 Screenshots

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Hollow Knight: Silksong, developed by Team Cherry, continues to be one of the most anticipated games worldwide, maintaining its position at the top of Steam's wishlist charts for years. The game 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 delight of its patient fanbase. With the announcement that Silksong will be playable at Australia's national museum of screen culture, ACMI, starting September 18, some speculate a potential launch around August, although nothing has been confirmed yet.

Silksong will be part of a video game exhibition called Game Worlds at the Melbourne museum, which will also feature displays exploring the game's design and artistic direction.