Team Cherry just pulled off something rarely seen in gaming. After Hollow Knight Silksong’s Simplified Chinese translation received heavy criticism at launch in September 2025, the studio didn’t just patch it themselves. They officially adopted a fan-made translation by modding group Team Cart Fix and built it directly into Patch 4, which released November 6. This isn’t a mod you download separately anymore. It’s the official Chinese translation going forward, and the community couldn’t be happier.
The move demonstrates incredible respect for both the fan community and the quality of work skilled translators can produce when they deeply understand the source material. Team Cart Fix’s translation had been available as a mod for weeks, with thousands of players praising it as vastly superior to the official version. Rather than stubbornly trying to fix the translation in-house, Team Cherry recognized excellence and integrated it wholesale into the game.
What Was Wrong With the Original Translation
Hollow Knight Silksong launched globally on September 4, 2025 to overwhelming acclaim, becoming one of the year’s biggest critical and commercial successes. But there was one major problem. The Simplified Chinese translation was terrible, and the Chinese-speaking community let Team Cherry know about it immediately.
Silksong received double the negative Steam reviews that the original Hollow Knight accumulated during its entire lifetime, with most of that negativity coming from Chinese players frustrated by the botched translation. The issue wasn’t just minor typos or awkward phrasing. The translation overemphasized flowery language to the point where it lost the focus and impact of the original script.
Character names were inconsistent between Silksong and Hollow Knight, breaking the narrative connections that fans familiar with the first game expected. Terminology changed without reason. The dense lore that defines Team Cherry’s storytelling became confusing and unclear. For a game built on subtle environmental storytelling and carefully chosen words, a bad translation doesn’t just harm comprehension. It fundamentally damages the experience.
Chinese review scores were significantly lower than other regions specifically because of this problem. Players who’d waited years for Silksong deserved better than a translation that made the game harder to understand and appreciate.
Team Cart Fix to the Rescue
While Team Cherry worked on fixing the translation themselves through beta patches, fan group Team Cart Fix released their own version as a mod. Their approach was fundamentally different. Rather than starting from scratch, they built upon elements of the original translation, keeping existing names for most characters and places except where the original was factually incorrect or inconsistent with Hollow Knight.
Most importantly, Team Cart Fix consists of fans who are deeply versed in the quite dense narrative and lore of both Hollow Knight games. They understand the subtle links and connections that should be retained in translation. When Hornet mentions something from the first game, the terminology matches. When locations reference Hallownest’s history, the translation preserves those connections.
The mod became incredibly popular, with many thousands of players downloading and using it. Community feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Where the official translation had been criticized as confusing and overly flowery, Team Cart Fix’s version was praised for readability, accuracy, and maintaining the tone of Team Cherry’s original English text.
Team Cherry Makes It Official
After several weeks of testing Team Cart Fix’s translation in the public beta branch, Team Cherry made the call to officially adopt it. Patch 4 (version 1.0.29242) launched November 6, 2025 for all PC players with console versions following shortly after. The patch notes state clearly: Updated Simplified Chinese translation to use fan translation provided by Team Cart Fix.
In their announcement, Team Cherry gave Team Cart Fix full credit and thanked them for their work. The developers acknowledged that the fan translation had been available in mod form for a while, with many thousands of players having already experienced and praised their work. By making it official, Team Cherry ensured every Chinese-speaking player gets the better translation automatically without needing to install mods.
This kind of collaboration between developers and fan modders is rare but not unprecedented. The most famous example is probably Counter-Strike, which started as a Half-Life mod before Valve hired the creators and turned it into an official game. But for a translation specifically, this is extremely unusual. Most developers would view fan translations as helpful but unofficial, maintaining control over all localization in-house.
Team Cherry’s willingness to admit the fan version was better and incorporate it directly shows humility and respect for quality work regardless of its source. It’s the kind of decision that builds goodwill with the community and ensures the best possible product for players.
What Else Is In Patch 4
While the Chinese translation gets top billing, Patch 4 includes significant technical improvements as well. The biggest under-the-hood change is switching to Unity’s Input System for controller support. This has been in development for a while as it represents a fairly significant overhaul of how the game handles inputs.
Unity’s Input System is much more fully featured than Team Cherry’s previous setup and continues actively improving. It adds support for many additional controller types and features that weren’t possible before. However, there are still some limitations, including quirks around certain Bluetooth and wired combinations. For example, wired Xbox 360 controllers on Mac now require an additional driver.
The patch notes include a comprehensive controller support list showing which devices are fully compatible, which have known issues, and which might need workarounds. If you’re experiencing controller problems after the update, checking that list is the first step.
Bug fixes round out the patch. Team Cherry describes it as another big bug-fix pass, addressing issues players reported during the public beta period and since launch. Specific fixes include reducing the bind time when using the Multibinder with the Shaman crest, updating the Multibinder’s initial bind to clear maggots based on community feedback, and increasing the Wreath of Purity’s durability.
Enemy behavior got tweaked too. Gurr the Outcast’s trap-throw attack changed from a single lob to a spin-style attack to reduce the time Hornet spends standing still, making the encounter more dynamic.
Silksong’s Post-Launch Journey
Hollow Knight Silksong released as one of the most anticipated indie games in history after years of waiting from fans. The original Hollow Knight became a beloved cult classic, and expectations for the sequel were sky-high. Team Cherry delivered, with Silksong earning critical acclaim and massive commercial success.
But like any ambitious project, launch wasn’t perfect. Beyond the translation issues, some players have debated the difficulty curve, with concerns about Hornet’s large hitbox and high damage intake from bosses making the game feel unfairly punishing. Team Cherry has maintained the challenge is intentional, reflecting Hornet’s different combat style compared to the Knight from the first game.
The studio has been responsive to feedback through post-launch patches, fine-tuning gameplay balance and technical stability while addressing community concerns. Patch 4 represents the culmination of weeks of public beta testing where players helped identify issues and provided feedback on changes before they went live.
This collaborative development approach, culminating in officially adopting a fan translation, shows Team Cherry’s commitment to making Silksong the best possible experience for all players regardless of language or platform.
Why This Matters Beyond Silksong
Team Cherry’s decision to adopt Team Cart Fix’s translation sets a positive precedent for how developers can work with fan communities. Modders put hundreds of hours into passion projects improving games they love. Most of that work remains unofficial, existing in parallel to the main game but never acknowledged by developers.
When a fan creation is demonstrably better than the official version, recognizing that and incorporating it benefits everyone. Players get the superior version automatically. Developers save time and resources they can dedicate to other improvements. Modders receive recognition and validation for their work.
The gaming industry has a complicated relationship with modding communities. Some companies embrace mods as extending their games’ longevity and value. Others view them with suspicion or actively try to shut them down. Team Cherry’s approach with Silksong shows what’s possible when developers trust that fans can contribute meaningfully to making games better.
FAQs
What is Team Cart Fix’s translation in Silksong Patch 4?
Team Cart Fix is a fan modding group that created a Simplified Chinese translation for Hollow Knight Silksong. Their work was so well-received that Team Cherry officially adopted it in Patch 4, making it the game’s official Chinese translation going forward.
When did Silksong Patch 4 release?
Patch 4 (version 1.0.29242) released November 6, 2025 for all PC players, with console versions following shortly after. The patch was previously available on the public beta branch for several weeks before the final release.
Why was the original Chinese translation bad?
The original Simplified Chinese translation overemphasized flowery language, making it lose focus and impact. Character names were inconsistent with Hollow Knight, terminology changed without reason, and the dense lore became confusing. This led to significantly lower review scores from Chinese players.
What other changes are in Silksong Patch 4?
Beyond the Chinese translation, Patch 4 switches to Unity’s Input System for improved controller support, includes numerous bug fixes, adjusts some enemy behaviors, and tweaks equipment like the Multibinder and Wreath of Purity based on community feedback.
When did Hollow Knight Silksong release?
Hollow Knight Silksong launched globally on September 4, 2025 for PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It has been a major critical and commercial success.
Do I need to download the fan translation separately?
No, Team Cart Fix’s translation is now built into the official game as of Patch 4. Chinese-speaking players automatically get the improved translation without needing to install any mods.
Has Team Cherry hired Team Cart Fix?
The announcement doesn’t mention hiring Team Cart Fix, only that Team Cherry officially adopted their translation and thanked them for their work. The modding group received recognition and credit for their contribution.
Will there be more Silksong patches?
Team Cherry continues supporting Silksong with post-launch patches addressing bugs, balance issues, and technical improvements. Patch 4 likely won’t be the last update as the developers remain committed to refining the game based on community feedback.
Conclusion
Hollow Knight Silksong Patch 4 represents more than just bug fixes and technical improvements. By officially adopting Team Cart Fix’s fan-made Simplified Chinese translation, Team Cherry demonstrated how developers can work with passionate communities to deliver the best possible experience for all players. The Chinese translation that frustrated so many at launch is now widely praised, player feedback directly influenced equipment and enemy changes, and Unity’s Input System upgrade expands controller compatibility for everyone. This is what post-launch support should look like: responsive, collaborative, and committed to excellence regardless of where that excellence comes from. Whether you’re playing in English, Chinese, or any other language, Silksong keeps getting better thanks to Team Cherry’s willingness to listen and adapt.