At the Game Worlds exhibit at ACMI in Melbourne, Australia, we had a chance to explore the development process of Pharloom for Hollow Knight: Silksong. It was fascinating to see how much the game evolved during its creation.
Hornet began as a character players would be able to switch to within the original Hollow Knight game, planned for 2017. But as the developers, Team Cherry, envisioned something bigger, they expanded the idea into its own complete game.
After eight years of anticipation, Silksong has finally arrived, and it’s been a massive success, breaking sales records and captivating players. However, even with all the praise, the specifics of how and when the game was made are still largely unknown.
We’re finally learning more details about what happened over the past several years, and we now have the clearest picture yet of the full story.
We had a sneak peek at Silksong at a new exhibit called Game Worlds in Melbourne, Australia, before it opened to the public. Not only were we able to play the game, but the exhibit also revealed a lot about its development, showing how the world of Pharloom has evolved from its early stages in 2017 to the version we see now.
How Silksong’s map evolved over eight years of development
Among the interactive 3D maps, detailed code charts, and artwork on display, I was particularly drawn to a timeline. It showed the complete development of Pharloom, starting with the very first idea and tracing its progress to the current 1.0 version.
Even as early as when Hollow Knight first came out, the developers at Team Cherry were already thinking about how to build upwards in their next big game. Early designs showed a location called ‘City of Song’ at the very top – this was intended as the area for the final boss fight. We now know this planned location became The Citadel, and the name change happened just a month after the initial sketch.
By November 2017, the main parts of the map were beginning to come together. However, some areas from this earlier version weren’t included in the final design. For example, the area labeled Red Coral Gorge on the left wasn’t used.
It’s hard to know exactly what this place was like originally, but the name and bright blue colors suggest it probably involves water – things like water-based challenges and enemies.
The Red Coral Gorge, a unique area in the game, was taken off the map in September 2021 after four years of work. The exact reason for its removal remains unknown, and it’s unclear if the developers will ever revisit the idea.
The earliest version of the Moss Grotto appeared on the game’s map seven years before the planned release of Silksong. Later, in June 2019, the popular area Bilewater was added. However, it wasn’t until August 7, 2025, that the complete map of Pharloom was finalized.
You can see highlights from the full timeline below.
Team Cherry has a general plan, according to William Pellen, but it’s flexible. He explained to ACMI that they’re always open to changing direction, whether it’s in a couple of weeks, months, or even years down the line.
Read More
- LINK PREDICTION. LINK cryptocurrency
- Katanire’s Yae Miko Cosplay: Genshin Impact Masterpiece
- GBP EUR PREDICTION
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Puzzled by “The core of flavors” in Cookie Jam? Let’s find the answer together!
- Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection Releases Digitally Just Before Halloween
- These Crypto Exchanges Have Customer Support That Actually Doesn’t Suck
- “A waffle has many spheres” is puzzling you in Cookie Jam? We know the answer
- USD THB PREDICTION
- Looking for “On the grid of happiness” in Cookie Jam? The answer is here
2025-09-18 05:49