Silksong: How to Unlock Steel Soul Mode Early

A returning feature from the first Hollow Knight, Steel Soul Mode is a permadeath game mode in Silksong, where players are given only one chance at life, and are tasked with completing an entire playthrough without dying a single time.

Given that even a regular run of Silksong can be brutally punishing, Steel Soul Mode redefines how players approach the game. It’s the ultimate gauntlet for those players confident in their skill. Here’s how to unlock it.

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By Erik Petrovich

How to Unlock Steel Soul Mode in Hollow Knight: Silksong

By default, Steel Soul Mode unlocks after completing a regular playthrough of Silksong, but there is a secret method to unlock it early. To gain access to Steel Soul Mode’s permadeath features, players can input a secret code in the “Extras” menu on the title screen. The secret code is:

Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right

Here is how to do it:

Open the main menu of Silksong.
Select the “Extras” menu.
Hit “Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right.”

You can use a Keyboard's directional keys or a Controller's D-Pad/joystick to input the code.

steel soul mode select hollow knight silksong

If you hit the right inputs, the screen will flash white for a brief second, indicating a successful attempt. Now, when you start a new game, you’ll be provided with two options:

Classic Mode: Normal Play Mode
Steel Soul Mode: No Reviving. Death is Permanent.

Upon selecting Steel Soul Mode, you will begin a run with only one life. If your health drops down to zero and Hornet dies, you will be presented with the Game Over screen.

steel soul mode defeated hollow knight silksong

In the save slot selection screen, a failed Steel Soul run will be marked “Defeated,” and the only action you will be allowed to take is to delete it to clear up space for a new run.

It’s possible to use the force-quit exploit to cheese a Steel Soul death by exiting out of the game before the auto-save feature has a chance to register your death. Alternatively, you can also pause and quit when you’re at low health so that when you reload the save, you spawn with full health at the previous bench. This is also an easy way to get out of tough map sections you feel your character isn’t ready for.

There are two achievements tied to completing a Steel Soul run in Silksong. They are: