Don't get trapped or bitten by these scam ads.
A new kind of trickery has been lurking in the shadows of YouTube: scam ads claiming to let players download Hollow Knight: Silksong on mobile. The highly-anticipated sequel to Hollow Knight officially launched on 4 September for PC and console, but no mobile version exists. That hasn’t stopped fraudsters from trying to lure in eager fans.
The adverts masquerade as official promotions, even wearing Team Cherry’s name, though with the wrong profile picture.
One unlisted clip features an AI narrator promising players they can enjoy the “long-awaited masterpiece” without a PC, console, or even the internet, complete with supposed instructions on how to get it running on a phone.
Matthew Griffin, Team Cherry’s marketing and publishing lead, stepped in after a fan shared the footage online. His advice on X (formerly Twitter) was direct: “Best thing to do is report the ad to YouTube if you see it.”
Hollow Knight: Silksong fans warned about scams that contain spoilers
Beyond the fake download pitch, the ads come with an unwelcome sting… spoilers. One version outright reveals the Grandmother Silk boss fight from Act 2, robbing players of a moment many hoped to discover for themselves during their first playthrough.
Members of the Silksong subreddit reported being served the ad while browsing, with one user highlighting how carefully it was dressed up to look legitimate. For a community that spent years waiting for the sequel, the sudden appearance of such videos feels like being ambushed in March’s Nest.
For clarity, Hollow Knight: Silksong is available now on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, but not on mobile. Team Cherry have no involvement with these adverts, and reporting them remains the best way to keep them from spreading further.
In other news, Griffin also recently reshared a post by Sliksong composer Christopher Larkin on X regarding people getting Content ID claims for Hollow Knight: Silksong music. Larkin shared that it’s either a technical error or that maybe “someone is doing something illegal” and has promised that Team Cherry are already looking into it.
With all these incidents, it looks like more scammers are banking on Silksong's popularity so players must always be vigilant. If an ad claims to offer a shortcut to Pharloom on your phone, it’s almost certainly a false path.
