Golly, that Hollow Knight: Silksong is a bit hard, 'ey? I'm not here to feed into that discourse right now, you've probably seen enough of that on Bluesky and in the comments of YouTube videos about the top 10 things you missed in Silksong. No, instead I'm here to tell you that things could be much, much worse apparently, as it turns out an entire difficulty mode is hidden within the metroidvania for you to unlock.

That might be music to the ears of those of you who are struggling a bit with the game (no judgement here, the game's tough). Unfortunately, this one isn't your tune, as the hidden difficulty mode actually makes the game harder, almost impossibly so. It's called Steel Soul mode, and the rules are pretty simple: "No reviving. Death is permanent." Great! Exactly what I want from a game where I've already died 10,000 times.

Unlocking the mode is, as discovered by Reddit user Buttnugtaster (no relation), monumentally easy compared to the rest of the game. All you have to do is head into the Extras menu, then input the following: up, down, up, down, left, right, left, right. You'll get a flash on the screen, and if you try to start a new save file you'll find Steel Soul as an option. I've checked this myself and it does work, and no, I did not start a new save. My experience of this mode will be entirely limited to watching someone inevitably attempt it at Games Done Quick.

While there is no easy mode in the game, Team Cherry did outline an upcoming patch earlier today that promises to make a few bits of the game like a couple of boss fights a smidge more forgiving. At least those of us who beat Moorwing already have bragging rights.