Team Cherry’s October update for Hollow Knight: Silksong delivers a significant boost to several tools, addressing long-standing concerns from players by improving the damage output of specific items. While the patch also includes expanded controller support and general bug fixes, one of its most noteworthy changes concerns the functionality of “blue tools” and certain crafting-related equipment.
The patch improves the tool damage that wasn’t working before
In version 1.0.28891 of Hollow Knight: Silksong, Team Cherry has revealed that crafting kits—the items supposed to increase Hornet’s damage by 60% were not functioning as intended. Many players reported picking up these kits and failing to see any noticeable benefit to their damage output. In the patch notes, Team Cherry acknowledged that the effect was not active before, and the update restores the intended bonus.
Alongside fixing the crafting kit issue, the patch also enhances several tools, transforming them into more effective weapons against adversaries. Previously, many players had ignored or underutilised these tools because their offensive potential was minimal or non-existent. This update alters that perception by enhancing the potency of certain combat tools.
The “blue tools” will continue to confer their passive benefits—such as magma resistance—but the patch does not alter those defensive or utility traits. Instead, the change focuses entirely on enhancing the tools’ offensive contributions.
Enhanced tools include several favourites
Among the items strengthened by the update are the Pollip Pouch, Claw Mirror, Volt Filament, Snitch Pick, and Wispfire Lantern—each already among Hornet’s equipment options beyond the Sawtooth Circlet. Before the patch, some of these tools were viewed as situational or underwhelming in combat scenarios. Now, they may become viable as offensive choices in more encounters.
Players had long appreciated tools such as the Claw Mirror, which deals damage via a flash, or the Pollip Pouch’s ability to poison enemies. Still, the improvements introduced in this patch take them to a new level of effectiveness. Reaction from the community has been enthusiastic, with one player exclaiming, “Claw Mirrors didn’t need a buff, so HOLY SHIT” in a discussion thread. Another user described the overall changes as “peak.”
Despite the excitement, there remains some uncertainty about how the damage increase will behave on tools that blend offense and defence. The Warding Bell, for example, assists Hornet during healing by providing protection, while also emitting a small damaging burst to nearby enemies. Some players speculate that the patch might bolster that offensive portion, though the Bell is rarely chosen solely for its attack potential.
One fan summarised the impact from a more personal perspective: “As a tools truther, this patch just gave me a reason to retry the last annoying gauntlet I got stuck on.” In other words, the update encourages players to reconsider tools they previously dismissed and experiment with different load-outs.
Broader update and community implications
Beyond the tooling changes, version 1.0.28891 also broadens controller compatibility and addresses various bugs across Silksong. These quality-of-life improvements complement the balance updates, making the game more accessible and stable.
The tool enhancements may shift how players approach difficult encounters. In what many saw as a mostly fixed strategy meta, the stronger tools open the possibility of alternate playstyles. Some fights that previously felt insurmountable using only basic methods may now be tackled differently, encouraging experimentation and renewed interest in tool-based builds.
In the competitive and community discussion space, the update offers fresh perspectives for theorycrafting, speedrunning, and tackling challenging pledges. Players may discover new corner cases where the revamped tools significantly alter the pacing or difficulty of specific sections.
As always with balance patches, the true impact will only emerge over time as the community explores interactions, edge cases, and nuanced synergies. But for now, many feel the update finally brings several underused tools up to par and rewards experimentation in a way that aligns with Team Cherry’s vision of rewarding mastery.
