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Team Cherry formed around Ari Gibson and William Pellen’s shared enthusiasm for classic adventure games and a desire to make new ones. A Unity retrospective dates the studio’s formation to 2012 and names Gibson, Pellen, and David Kazi among its early collaborators. The studio’s origins are connected to Hollow Knight, but the game came later: it began as a game-jam idea that grew beyond its original scope.
Team Cherry’s beginnings
Team Cherry’s own account to Nintendo Australia describes the studio as coming together around a mutual love of classic adventure games, especially Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and Faxanadu, and a shared wish to create new adventures in that spirit. That describes a creative motivation, not a claim that Team Cherry set out to reproduce either game.
A Unity retrospective dates Team Cherry’s formation to 2012 and identifies Adelaide developers Ari Gibson, William Pellen, and David Kazi as early collaborators. The available accounts do not establish a legal incorporation date.
Who was part of the early team?
Names and roles vary across accounts because they describe different points in the studio’s history. Unity names Gibson, Pellen, and Kazi among the early collaborators. In a 2018 interview conducted at BitSummit and published by Source Gaming in 2025, Gibson and Pellen describe David as the third member of the Hollow Knight development team and credit him with foundational architectural coding. Nintendo’s 2021 interview, by contrast, describes a three-person studio comprising Gibson, Pellen, and Jack Vine. Team Cherry’s current About page identifies Gibson and Pellen as co-directors and Jasmine Vine as a coder. These are snapshots, not one unchanging roster.
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#1 Best Overall
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
- Leap into minds with the Dream Nail. Uncover a whole other side to the characters you meet and the enemies you face.
How game jams led to Hollow Knight
Gibson and Pellen have recalled working together on game jams before attempting a full-size game. Team Cherry told Nintendo that Hollow Knight began as one of those jam projects. The theme was “Beneath the Surface,” which prompted the idea of a lone explorer digging down into a strange underground world.
The team did not finish the project by the mid-2014 jam deadline. Instead, the concept continued to grow into Hollow Knight. The studio’s formation and the game’s origin are related parts of the story, but they are separate events: Team Cherry dates to 2012, while the game took shape from the later jam idea.
Rank #2
![Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nXCF+sf5L._SL160_.jpg)
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
- Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favorites and make your journey unique!
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
What inspired the game’s sense of adventure?
Gibson and Pellen have described Zelda II as an influence for its feeling of exploration: the scale of its world, its towns and characters, and the uncertainty of what might be discovered next. They also named Faxanadu, Mega Man X, and Mega Man Zero as influences. These references help explain the team’s tastes; they do not mean Hollow Knight simply copies those games.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Kickstarter helped the project grow
Kickstarter backing helped Team Cherry expand the project beyond its initial scale. In the Source Gaming interview published in 2025, Gibson recalled an initial goal of about AU$35,000, while Pellen said the target had been debated and adjusted shortly before launch. Gibson said the successful campaign let the team make the game larger and work on it for roughly two years. Those are approximate recollections from the interview, not audited financial or scheduling figures. The interviewers refer to about AU$58,000 raised and Pellen assents, but that exchange is not enough to establish an exact final total.
Rank #3
![Hollow Knight: Silksong Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mOgOC8xEL._SL160_.jpg)
- Discover the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom! Explore mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
- Engage in lethal acrobatic action! Wield a huge suite of deadly moves as you dance between foes in swift, beautiful combat.
- Craft powerful tools! Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps, and mechanisms to vanquish your enemies and explore new heights.
- Solve shocking quests! Hunt down rare beasts and solve ancient mysteries to grant the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom’s hope.
- Face over 200 ferocious foes! Beasts and hunters, monsters and knights. Defeat them all with bravery and skill!
In the same interview, Gibson also pointed to personal circumstances and Adelaide’s comparatively low living costs as factors that made a low-budget development period possible. His recollection helps explain how the project could continue, rather than serving as a formal account of the studio’s finances.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
![HOLLOW KNIGHT [E10]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51gHoLA9kNL._SL160_.jpg)
- Includes four giant bonus content packs: Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all modern trimmings
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash, and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries
- Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds, and ruined cities
- Forge your own path. The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face, and find your own way forward
The timeline at a glance
| Milestone | What the sources establish |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Unity’s retrospective dates Team Cherry’s formation to this year and names Gibson, Pellen, and Kazi among the early collaborators. |
| Mid-2014 | Team Cherry told Nintendo that its Hollow Knight game-jam project, themed “Beneath the Surface,” missed the deadline and continued to develop afterward. |
| Later development | Gibson and Pellen recalled that Kickstarter backing helped expand the game; Gibson described the resulting work period as roughly two years. |
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