Hollow Knight: Silksong seemingly references Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in one subtle easter egg

• A Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 reference may have been found in Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Players find text that reads, “…For those who come after…”
• The phrase is repeated throughout Expedition 33 and is the name of a song on the soundtrack

Fans think they’ve discovered a Clair Obscur: Expedition 33^[1] reference in Hollow Knight: Silksong^[2], and I do hope it was a deliberate move from Team Cherry.

The long-awaited Hollow Knight sequel has been out for less than a week, and as players make their way through the metroidvania game, new discoveries are bound to crop up online, whether it be a secret boss or a unique way to take down an enemy.

Now, it seems that fans have come across what they think to be a nod to one of this year’s best games, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

As one user pointed out on X / Twitter^[3], players can come across a statue in the game that will reveal the words “…for those who come after.”

If you’re familiar with Expedition 33, you’ll know that this phrase is the name of an iconic song from the game’s soundtrack and also uttered countless times throughout the story, symbolizing the expeditioners’ continued struggle against the Paintress.

After a bit more investigating (thanks, RockPaperShotgun^[5]), players can come across an area in the game called the Weavennest Karn where they’ll need to play their musical instrument, the needolin, to uncover the ghostly text.

The interaction can be watched in a separate clip^[6] shared by the original poster, which features the full sentence. It reads, “…Through ages…Bound…Forgotten…Faded…For those who come after…”

Whether this was a deliberate easter egg on Team Cherry’s part or just a simple reuse of the same phrase, we can’t be certain, but Sandfall Interactive has shared its support for the game in a recent post alongside some lovely crossover fan art^[7].

Elsewhere, Team Cherry has announced that the first post-launch Hollow Knight: Silksong patch will arrive next week and address the early game difficulty complaints^[8].

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