Silksong players have uncovered yet another secret—a little Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 easter egg

A screencap of a cutscene in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Main character Hornet faces the screen with her white face and angled black eyes. Her red cloak twists in the wind.
(Image credit: Tyler C. / Team Cherry)

To me, an outsider who hasn't had the chance to jump into Silksong yet, it seems like there's no end to the possibilities of what players can find in Team Cherry's latest game. I've heard of thieving bugs, a blood-boiling High Halls gauntlet, and something called the Twisted Bud—I don't want to know.

So it doesn't come as a surprise to me that somewhere in the caverns of this cursed and beloved game, there would be a string of secret easter eggs, such as the latest discovery, which is a small reference to Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

First pointed out on a Reddit thread and then confirmed by RPS, if you head west of Wormways and then play your needolin at the Weavenest Karn, text will appear above your head that reads "for those who come after".

This links to Expedition 33, as this phrase is not just the foundation of each Expedition's pledge to carry forth in the face of hardship to lay the groundwork for the next team, but it is also found in a journal entry toward the beginning of the game that reads "Learn from the ones who came before, and lay the trail for those who come after." It's also the name of one of the songs in the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 soundtrack, one of the most iconic in my opinion.

Given the latter context and the fact that these words only appear in Silksong if Hornet plays a musical instrument, I think it's safe to assume that this was a little reference to one of the biggest game releases of the year.

But the appreciation goes both ways. Sandfall sent its congratulations to Team Cherry: "Congratulations, Team Cherry, on the release of Silksong, a precious game made with love and care." Accompanied by an image of Maelle talking with Hornet as Esquie and Sherma in the background alongside the words "For the weavers who come after!" So it really just seems like two great games showing the love for one another.

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Elie Gould
News Writer

Elie is a news writer with an unhealthy love of horror games—even though their greatest fear is being chased. When they're not screaming or hiding, there's a good chance you'll find them testing their metal in metroidvanias or just admiring their Pokemon TCG collection. Elie has previously worked at TechRadar Gaming as a staff writer and studied at JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs about Smash Bros. or any indie game that crossed their path.

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