Team Cherry
Team Cherry is an independent Australian indie game studio (Adelaide, 3 people) that develops the Hollow Knight franchise — hand-drawn Metroidvania action-adventure games sold as one-time purchases across PC, console, and Xbox Game Pass to individual gamers globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersAdelaide, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Team Cherry does
Team Cherry is an independent Australian video game development studio headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia, operating with a deliberately small three-person team consisting of co-directors Ari Gibson and William Pellen and developer Jack Vine. Founded in 2014, the company designs and builds action-adventure games in the Metroidvania genre. Its core product is the Hollow Knight franchise: the original Hollow Knight launched in February 2017 and has been expanded with four free content packs (Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, Gods & Glory), with its full-scale sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong launching in September 2025 and a further free expansion "Sea of Sorrow" scheduled for 2026. The studio's technical stack is built on the Unity engine using PlayMaker, TextMesh Pro, 2D Toolkit, and Photoshop for hand-drawn art assets; it has also integrated Unity's Input System and partnered with Shark Jump for console porting work.
The company operates a pure one-time-purchase digital distribution model at $15 (Hollow Knight) and $20 (Silksong), with no microtransactions, subscriptions, or in-game monetization on the studio's own side, and supplements it with hardware sales through Fangamer for physical editions, collector's items, and merchandise. Distribution is global across Steam, GOG, Humble, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Xbox Game Pass (day-one for Silksong). Hollow Knight is sold in over 150 markets; Silksong shipped to 7M+ paid buyers and millions of additional Game Pass players within three months of launch. Marketing is almost entirely community-driven: the studio operates an active Discord, supports content creators with a formal streaming and monetization license, and benefits from a 355,000+ r/Silksong community that drove the "Silksanity" launch phenomenon.
The business is privately held, with no external venture capital, no parent company, and no known acquisition history; the founders retain full creative and IP control. Strategic distribution relationships include Nintendo (platform holder), Microsoft (Xbox Game Pass), and Fangamer (physical and merchandise). The company is currently active, with continuous patches for Silksong, next-gen hardware re-releases for Hollow Knight, and a 2026 expansion pipeline.
Team Cherry firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Team Cherry
- Legal name
- Team Cherry
- Website
- https://teamcherry.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Team Cherry is an independent Australian indie game studio (Adelaide, 3 people) that develops the Hollow Knight franchise — hand-drawn Metroidvania action-adventure games sold as one-time purchases across PC, console, and Xbox Game Pass to individual gamers globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Team Cherry industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indie Video Games
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios (MPAFAAAK)
Keywords
Where Team Cherry is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Adelaide
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Team Cherry business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Game Sales: One-time purchase model for Hollow Knight ($15) and Silksong ($20). Revenue generated from direct digital sales across multiple storefronts and physical edition sales through Fangamer.
- Merchandise: Official merchandise including mini-figurines, apparel, and accessories sold through Fangamer, The Yetee, and other partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hollow Knight digital edition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hollow Knight: Silksong digital edition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Physical editions - Switch 2 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Physical editions - PS5/Xbox Series X|S |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Free upgrades |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels5 records
Team Cherry product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Team Cherry develops and publishes action-adventure Metroidvania video games for individual gamers across multiple platforms. The studio's core products are the Hollow Knight franchise, including the original Hollow Knight and its full-scale sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong, featuring hand-drawn 2D art, challenging combat, and expansive worlds with 150+ enemies. The studio sells games directly to consumers through digital storefronts (Steam, GOG, Humble, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store) and offers physical editions through Fangamer, with pricing set at accessible one-time purchase points ($15-$20).
Product overview
Team Cherry is a game development studio that creates action-adventure games in the Metroidvania genre. The core product portfolio consists of Hollow Knight (original game released February 2017) and its full-scale sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong (released September 2025). The original Hollow Knight has been expanded through four free content packs: Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster, all of which are included in the Voidheart Edition console releases. Silksong is supported with ongoing patches and is planned to receive a free expansion called Sea of Sorrow in 2026. Additionally, an enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the original Hollow Knight is in development for 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hollow Knight Award-winning 2D action-adventure Metroidvania game set in a vast ruined kingdom of insects and heroes. Players explore twisting caverns, battle tainted creatures, and befriend bizarre bugs in a classic hand-drawn 2D style. Available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
- Hollow Knight: Silksong Full-scale sequel to Hollow Knight where players control Hornet, the lethal hunter and princess-protector of Hallownest, exploring a new kingdom called Pharloom. Action-adventure Metroidvania gameplay with new tools, abilities, and enemies. Available across PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, plus day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass.
- Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition Console edition of Hollow Knight for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One that includes the base game plus all four free content packs (Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, Lifeblood, and Godmaster) bundled together as a complete console package.
Companies that use Team Cherry
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Team Cherry technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Team Cherry partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Microsoft (Xbox Game Pass)coreMicrosoft's Xbox Game Pass included Silksong as a day-one launch title, providing millions of subscribers access to the game at no additional cost. This partnership significantly expanded the game's reach and player base.
- FangamercoreFangamer serves as the primary distributor for Team Cherry's physical game editions and merchandise. They handle physical releases of Hollow Knight and Silksong including collector's editions, mini-figurines, apparel, and accessories. Fangamer produces and distributes branded merchandise worldwide.
- Mitsuki HashimotominorVoice actor from Hollow Knight's fan community who provided the voice for Lace, one of Silksong's main characters. Represents Team Cherry's practice of casting community members for character voices.
- NintendocoreNintendo serves as the platform holder and storefront for Hollow Knight and Silksong on Switch and Switch 2. Silksong was featured at E3 2019 via Nintendo Treehouse. Nintendo helped bring the games to a wider console audience.
- Christopher LarkincoreChristopher Larkin is the award-winning composer for both Hollow Knight and Silksong. He created all original music including boss themes, ambient scores, and orchestral tracks. He also released albums including 'Gods & Nightmares' featuring tracks from the games.
- Shark JumpminorShark Jump assisted with Hollow Knight's console releases (PS4, Xbox One) and Switch port. They helped with porting work alongside Team Cherry's development team.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Team Cherry competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Motion Twin: French indie cooperative behind Dead Cells, a 2D action-roguelite with Metroidvania elements that competes directly with Hollow Knight in the premium indie 2D action-adventure category.
- Extremely OK Games: Studio led by Matt Thorson, creator of Celeste — a tightly scoped, critically acclaimed 2D indie platformer with similar release-pricing philosophy ($20 tier) and small-team indie economics.
- Moon Studios: Developer of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, critically acclaimed Metroidvania action-adventure games on PC and console with a comparable small-team indie production model.
- Studio MDHR: Developer of Cuphead, a small independent studio whose hand-drawn aesthetic, premium indie pricing, and breakout critical and commercial success closely parallel Team Cherry's trajectory.
- Re-Logic: Indie developer of Terraria, a long-running 2D indie title with sustained multi-platform sales and post-launch free content — comparable to Hollow Knight's free DLC cadence.
- Supergiant Games: Independent developer of Hades, Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre — premium indie action-adventure titles with hand-crafted art, similar to Team Cherry's design DNA and small-team structure.
Broad incumbents
- Devolver Digital: Public indie publisher of premium PC and console titles; comparable go-to-market motion for indie action-adventure IP at scale, though operating as a publisher rather than a single-IP developer.
- Team17: Long-established indie games publisher with a wide portfolio; an indirect competitor to Team Cherry's distribution and brand-building approach in the premium indie segment.
Others
- Annapurna Interactive: Indie publisher focused on artistic, narrative-driven premium titles; positioned adjacent to Team Cherry's go-to-market for premium indie IP and physical/merchandise partnerships.
- Fangamer: Existing distribution and merchandise partner for Team Cherry; a comparable ecosystem enabler that other indie studios (notably those partnered with Yacht Club Games) use for physical editions and branded merch.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Team Cherry social profiles
Digital presenceTeam Cherry financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Team Cherry leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Team Cherry funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Team Cherry M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Team Cherry
What does Team Cherry do?
Team Cherry develops and publishes action-adventure Metroidvania video games for individual gamers across multiple platforms. The studio's core products are the Hollow Knight franchise, including the original Hollow Knight and its full-scale sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong, featuring hand-drawn 2D art, challenging combat, and expansive worlds with 150+ enemies. The studio sells games directly to consumers through digital storefronts (Steam, GOG, Humble, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store) and offers physical editions through Fangamer, with pricing set at accessible one-time purchase points ($15-$20).
Is Team Cherry a public or private company?
Team Cherry is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Team Cherry founded?
Team Cherry was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Team Cherry based?
Team Cherry is headquartered in Adelaide, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Team Cherry make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise.
Who are Team Cherry's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Motion Twin, Extremely OK Games, Moon Studios, Studio MDHR, Re-Logic and Supergiant Games. Broad incumbents are Devolver Digital and Team17. Others are Annapurna Interactive and Fangamer.
Does Team Cherry have an API?
No public API is recorded for Team Cherry.
What industry is Team Cherry in?
Team Cherry's product category is Indie Video Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAK, Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios. Its NAICS code is 5132.