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

- 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 reference in Hollow Knight: Silksong, 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, 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.
there is an expedition 33 reference in silksong??? pic.twitter.com/31Jgmt4tgGSeptember 11, 2025
After a bit more investigating (thanks, RockPaperShotgun), 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 shared by the original poster, which features the full sentence. It reads, "...Through ages...Bound...Forgotten...Faded...For those who come after..."
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
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.
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.
You might also like...
- Hollow Knight: Silksong players are finding Savage Beastfly so difficult an entire subreddit hating on the boss has been created in its honor
- 007 First Light dev confirms 'there are distinct differences' from the Hitman series and calls the Bond game 'a clear succession of our skill set and our ambition'
- 007 First Light won't have the same logic as the Bond movies, says dev – 'We really were inspired by some of these classic tropes, and then we adapted them to fit the modern medium'
Demi is a freelance games journalist for TechRadar Gaming. She's been a games writer for five years and has written for outlets such as GameSpot, NME, and GamesRadar, covering news, features, and reviews. Outside of writing, she plays a lot of RPGs and talks far too much about Star Wars on X.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.