'Hollow Knight' update: Third free expansion pack, Gods & Glory, announced

Critically acclaimed "Hollow Knight" is getting its third free expansion.(Photo: Team Cherry)

Indie developer Team Cherry has announced that its critically acclaimed Metroidvania "Hollow Knight" is getting its third free expansion titled "Gods & Glory."

Announced through a Steam post and a short teaser trailer, "Gods & Glory" serves as the latest free expansion to the popular "Hollow Knight," an indie Metroidvania game that has players exploring the vast underground world of Hallownest.

While it is still uncertain what the specifics of the update will be, Team Cherry called it "the big one" in its announcement of the add-on. The team has mapped out some of the new things that are included in this package, most of which are probably to be expected.

First up, the developers are adding a new character (and evidently, a romance option) called The Godseeker who will most likely be a central figure in the expansion's main quest line. And, as expected with a new quest, this update will also add new boss fights to the mix — one of the biggest appeals of the original "Hollow Knight." They have also announced the addition of new and remixed musical tracks, another strong point of the game when it first came out last year.

In addition to the expected content, there are a few surprises in there as well. The developers mention that a third new game mode will be included in "Gods & Glory" that has "been long requested and is a classic for the genre." This new game mode is unlocked by beating the expansion once, and more details regarding it is set to arrive later.

Team Cherry also mentions a new mechanic that will be added alongside the expansion that they are calling "Glorifying Charms." While there are no details on what exactly this mechanic entails, the team describes it as a way to "uncover more depth" for a player's collection of charms, possibly making it so that players can improve their charms even more to take on the new bosses and enemies.

No release date has been announced as of now, but players should expect this free update to be available for download within the year. Check out the trailer for the new expansion here.