Hollow Knight: Silksong’s free “Sea of Sorrow” expansion is planned for 2026

Silksong isn’t even out of its “still smells like fresh download” phase, yet it’s already getting a proper victory lap: a free expansion called Sea of Sorrow is on the way in 2026. The announcement landed on December 16, 2025 (CET), alongside a neat little flex: the game has now cleared 7 million copies sold.

As for what Sea of Sorrow actually brings, the devs are keeping the spoiler curtain firmly in place, but the headline features are already clear: new areas, new bosses, new tools, and a nautical theme for Hornet’s next trip into trouble. They also called it the game’s “first big expansion”, which is a fancy way of saying: this isn’t a tiny quest pack you finish during a coffee break.

The sales number isn’t just a nice round trophy either. The developers say millions more have jumped in via Xbox Game Pass, and the launch window was apparently so hectic that it took down storefronts under the load, which is the most indie way possible to accidentally cosplay an AAA release.

For players, the key takeaway is refreshingly simple: no extra charge, no “Deluxe Sea Edition” tax. If someone already owns Silksong, Sea of Sorrow is a free add-on whenever it drops in 2026, so there’s no need to treat the base game like it’s a movie you’re saving for the director’s cut.

And Team Cherry didn’t stop with Hornet’s ocean trip. The original Hollow Knight is also getting love, including a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition that’s planned as a free upgrade for existing Switch owners in 2026. Before that lands, updates are also heading to current versions, and PC players can already test parts of it via public beta branches, including 16:10 and 21:9 support for Steam Deck and ultrawide setups.

Community-wise, the mood is basically split between “free expansion, yes please” and the classic metroidvania dilemma: start now or wait and binge everything later. There’s also the inevitable joking prophecy that if this is “Sea of Sorrow,” then the next thing will be “Ocean of Waiting,” but that’s just fandom cardio at this point.

 

Sources:

• Hatalmas ingyenes DLC-t kap a Hollow Knight: Silksong

• SILKSONG EXPANSION, HOLLOW KNIGHT REFRESHED, AND MORE!

• Silksong is getting a free expansion next year

• Community thread reacting to the announcement