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

Yesterday, IGN unveiled that Hollow Knight: Silksong will be available for play at an Australian museum in September 2025 and shared a sprite sheet from the much-anticipated game, causing a stir across the internet.

"In what situation [is] making a sprite of naked Hornet necessary?" one commenter pondered on a Reddit thread analyzing the exclusive sheet.

Among the numerous images of Silksong's protagonist, Hornet, depicted in various battle-ready and relaxed poses, there is one striking image of her casually carrying her cloak under one arm. (A close-up is provided below, and you can also find it on the right-hand side of the original sheet, directly beneath the topmost ring):

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

"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????" another speculated, while a third exclaimed: "IN WHAT KIND OF SITUATION WOULD THEY EVEN NEED THIS SPRITE?"

The conversation quickly turned more playful and suggestive.

"So, we don't have to bother making a mod," one user declared, while another quipped: "We're going straight to ESRB 18+ for this one."

"HORNET PUT YOUR CLOAK BACK ON THAT'S SO INDECENT WHAT THE HELL," another thread starter admonished, eliciting responses like: "This looks so wrong," and "this is completely unnecessary."

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

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

Hollow Knight: Silksong 2025 Screenshots

View 5 ImagesHollow Knight: Silksong, developed by Team Cherry, continues to be one of the most eagerly awaited games, maintaining its position at the top of Steam's wishlist charts for years. The game recently made a brief appearance at Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct, and soon after, Team Cherry confirmed a 2025 release window, bringing much-needed relief to its patient fanbase. With the announcement that Silksong will be playable at Australia's national museum of screen culture, ACMI, starting September 18, speculation about a potential August release has begun, though nothing has been officially confirmed.

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