- The Konami code in Silksong unlocks Steel Soul permadeath mode.
- Players can go to the Extras menu and use this code combination: Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right.
- In Hollow Knight Silksong Steel Soul mode, players dying will result in a game over screen wiping that save slot permanently.
If you are a gamer and still have not heard how brutally tough Hollow Knight Silksong is, let me say it again: it is painfully difficult. Yet, there are veterans out there slicing through Pharloom’s challenges like they are spreading butter on bread. For players of that caliber, there is a good easter egg in the game. You can now unlock Permadeath mode, called Steel Soul in Silksong, with a simple code. Here is how the Hollow Knight Silksong Konami code works, and what Steel Soul mode really means.
What is the Silksong Konami Code?
The Konami code, first made famous in Konami’s NES classic Contra, was used to give players 30 lives. In Silksong, though, things are not quite so generous. The code does work, but instead, it rewards you with a brutal Permadeath mode. This slightly altered version of the original Konami code can be entered in Silksong to unlock a new game mode called Steel Soul.
Right after the community worked on Silksong mods, this unique difficulty setting was found. This discovery was first shared by a Reddit user, and if you look closely, you will notice it is not the exact Konami code but a tweaked version. The original code for the NES game is: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, and Start. That naturally raises the question…
How to Unlock Silksong Permadeath Steel Soul Mode
To use the Silksong Konami code, go to the Extras menu and press: Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right. This code combination works both on a controller and keyboard. If you are on a controller, just press the D-pads and follow the combination.
Once you input the code, you must start a new game to start with the Permadeath difficulty. Simply open a new save slot and select the Steel Soul mode to do so. Wondering how the Permadeath works? Let me explain.
Hollow Knight Silksong Steel Soul Mode Explained
Steel Soul mode is a Hollow Knight Silksong game mode that puts the difficulty level to the max. The description of the game mode says, “No reviving. Death is permanent.” While it is a cheat code for Hollow Knight Silksong, I feel it is more of a reverse effect of what a cheat should do.
As the name suggests, Steel Soul is a permadeath mode. One death means game over, and your save is gone for good. The moment you die in Steel Soul mode, the game flashes a permanent game-over screen. If you try to continue, you will find the save slot locked. The only way forward is to delete the file and start from scratch.
Given how punishing Silksong already feels, even to Hollow Knight veterans, this mode is only for those chasing the highest challenge. In the first game, Steel Soul is unlocked after you clear the campaign. In Silksong, however, all it takes is entering a simple Konami-style button code on the menu screen.
I cannot help but admire the irony here. A code that once handed out extra lives now strips away your safety net entirely. It is a playful nod to gaming history, but also a reminder that Silksong is not interested in giving you shortcuts. Instead, it dares you to take the hardest road possible. And honestly, for a game built on trial, error, and razor-sharp precision, that feels perfectly fitting. One thing I am sure of is that it will make the Silksong game length even longer.
So, will you be daring enough to try the permadeath Steel Soul mode in Hollow Knight Silksong with the Konami code, or is the game’s already draining normal difficulty more than enough? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
