Hollow Knight: Silksong introduces a brand-new chapter in developer Team Cherry’s wonderful Metroidvania world, bringing gamers an intriguing and challenging experience. The wait leading up to Hollow Knight: Silksong has been historic, and its first weekend continues, players are uncovering plenty of fun secrets within the game’s world.
Silksong emphasizes exploring the mysterious Kingdom of Pharloom in order to piece together the game’s story, but one of the title’s biggest surprises isn’t found in the maps, but in the credits. It didn’t take long for some players to notice that a familiar name can be seen credited for giving additional voices to characters: Eric Barone, the creator of fellow indie hit Stardew Valley.
These games launched a year apart from each other, and since then, the two titles have been some of the most influential and successful indie games in the industry’s history. While vastly different, Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight both proved that massively successful games can be created by an incredibly small team, or in Eric Barone’s case, a single person. These indie darlings have experienced very similar success stories, so it makes sense that Barone lent his voice to Silksong.
As of last year, Stardew Valley has sold over 41 million copies.
That’s the big question, as fans have yet to officially figure that out. Even more intriguing, it’s not even clear how many characters Barone voices. It could be one, or even five or six. While ConcernedApe LLC, Barone’s company, confirmed that the Eric Barone mentioned in the credits is indeed him, both he and Team Cherry are keeping quiet on which Silksong characters he assisted with.
It’s also unclear whose idea it was for Barone to be part of Silksong in some small way. With Team Cherry and Barone both choosing secrecy, fans may never know the full story behind the latter’s cameo. Silksong has already made history with its internet-breaking launch, and adding Barone into the mix serves as the cherry on top to a thrilling celebration of indie development. As of now, Silksong players probably won’t know who Barone voices, at least for a while, but it’s definitely possible that someone could eventually figure it out down the road.
Silksong crashed the online storefronts for Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch during the first hours of its launch.
While vastly different, Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight both proved that massively successful games can be created by an incredibly small team
Last year was a big moment for Stardew Valley, as the 1.6 update brought a treasure trove of fresh content, and it seems like Barone isn’t done adding to the game. The confirmation of Stardew Valley 1.7 and Barone’s Silksong cameo makes this past week unexpectedly exciting for the beloved farm sim.
Barone’s voice cameo in Silksong also opens a fascinating door. Now that Barone is part of the Hollow Knight universe, it wouldn’t be surprising if update 1.7 potentially included some Hollow Knight or Silksong Easter eggs of its own. Of course, this may be less likely, but it’s not entirely impossible. A subtle nod to the Knight or Hornet isn’t necessarily off the table yet, so it will be fascinating to see if 1.7 holds its own surprises.
September 4, 2025
Team Cherry
Team Cherry
Unity
Hollow Knight
Single-player
