October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsSlow PC?RecommendedPC slow today? Run a repair scan before it gets worseResolve common Windows issues and optimize system performance.Scan NowOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
VGSources
Blog

Why Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Simplified Chinese Translation Drew Steam Backlash

The Steam controversy focused on Silksong’s launch Simplified Chinese localization. Team Cherry acknowledged reported issues, adopted a Team Cart Fix translation and later added Traditional Chinese.
Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The Steam backlash over Hollow Knight: Silksong was about its launch Simplified Chinese localization—not a universal verdict on the game. Chinese-language players criticized the translation’s wording, style and localization choices. Team Cherry acknowledged quality issues, then announced a replacement Simplified Chinese translation from Team Cart Fix in Patch 4. Patch 5 later added Traditional Chinese.

Why did Silksong face a Steam review backlash?

At launch, Chinese-language Steam users posted negative reviews criticizing the Simplified Chinese text. The complaints concerned the localization’s style and wording, as well as choices that players considered inaccurate or inconsistent with established Hollow Knight terminology. Kotaku reported on the controversy on September 5, 2025, and quoted Team Cherry marketing and publishing head Matthew Griffin acknowledging “quality issues” with the translation and saying the team would work on improvements “over the coming weeks.” Kotaku’s September 5, 2025 report

Calling the response a “review bomb” is a framing, not a neutral description of every review. The reported criticism was language-specific; it should not be confused with a general assessment of Silksong’s gameplay or with the views of all players. The available reporting establishes that negative reviews drew attention to the localization, but it does not establish that every low-rated review had the same motivation.

What changed in the Simplified Chinese translation?

Team Cherry announced a replacement Simplified Chinese translation in Patch 4 on November 6, 2025, crediting Team Cart Fix. The studio said the new version retained most established character and place names, except where the original translation was incorrect or inconsistent with Hollow Knight. Team Cherry’s Patch 4 announcement

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Hollow Knight: Silksong Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
  • 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!

That announcement documents the change and the studio’s stated rationale. The sources establish neither an independent linguistic assessment of the revised script nor a measured quality score, so they do not support a numerical claim about how much the translation improved.

What languages are supported now?

Patch 5, announced March 16, 2026, added Traditional Chinese, with the script provided by craft (indienova). Team Cherry said it coordinated with Team Cart Fix on consistency in critical elements across the Chinese scripts. The studio also noted that some proper nouns, including area names, changed in updates; those differences may be jarring for players using older text or online guides. Team Cherry’s Patch 5 announcement

Rank #2
Hollow Knight: Silksong | Standard Edition | Xbox Digital
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure.
  • Journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover secrets tied to your nature and your past.

Steam’s listing, accessed October 8, 2026, shows both Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese as supported languages. Silksong on Steam

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What do Steam’s Chinese-language reviews show?

On October 8, 2026, Steam displayed 93,739 Simplified Chinese reviews, with 75% positive and the label “Mostly Positive.” That is the storefront’s dated snapshot of the language-filtered review subset, not a permanent rating or a direct measure of translation quality. Steam displayed 419,440 reviews across all purchase sources at that time; that overall count is not specific to Chinese-language reviews.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #3
Hollow Knight (Nintendo Switch)
  • Classic side-scrolling action, with all the 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.
  • 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 favourites and make your journey unique!.An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation..

The distinction matters: the Simplified Chinese subset reflects reviews written in that language, while the overall figure aggregates reviews across purchase sources. Neither number alone shows why each person left a review.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 3
Hollow Knight (Nintendo Switch)
Hollow Knight (Nintendo Switch)
Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
$38.49
Bestseller No. 4
Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
$14.99
Rank #4
Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
  • 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.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More quests from Patch Notes

  1. How To Create Custom Stickers & Shoutouts In Monster Hunter WildsMonster Hunter WildsBlog20min
  2. How to Get XL Gogoat in Pokemon Legends Z-A (An Extra-Large Gogoat)Pokemon Legends Z-ABlog20min
  3. How to Get Rotting Lightbringer in Diablo 4Diablo 4Blog17min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownFree scan - exact matches

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.