Silksong is very difficult, but fans find the secret mode even harder

The difficulty of Hollow Knight: Silksong has become one of the main topics of conversation since the release. While Team Cherry detailed today, September 9, their first patch to make "slight" balance changes in the early game, the fan community discovered a secret mode that actually makes the game even harder.

Dedicated fans found the Steel Soul Mode Permadeath mode using a variant of the famous Konami code. To activate it, players need to go to the Extras option in the main menu and enter the following sequence using the directional buttons: Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right. The mode adds an extra layer of challenge for more skilled players.

The discovery, however, is ironic, as the initial feedback from many players was that the experience is already brutal. On social media, Reddit, Discord, and in Steam reviews, many expressed frustration with the game's difficulty scale and even with an initial miniboss. Team Cherry themselves seemed to acknowledge this, quickly releasing a balancing patch.

The fact that the community is divided between finding the game too difficult and discovering modes that make it even more brutal points to the duality of the release. IGN has been helping the community with guides on how to unlock the map and how to get Rosary Beads, as well as a specific guide for the Bell Beast boss fight, one of the most feared.