Hollow Knight Update 1.5.12620 Patch Notes
Team Cherry’s March 2026 patch (v1.5.12620) for the original Hollow Knight brought a variety of fixes and improvements. The official patch notes list the following key changes:
- Added Traditional Chinese translation. The game now supports Traditional Chinese text.
- Fixed low audio volume when navigating the inventory. The inventory menu sound was quiet on some platforms.
- Fixed alignment for text overlapping with wide key bindings. UI text no longer clips when actions are assigned to large keys (e.g. Shift or Space).
- Fixed overcharmed notches being removed unintentionally. A rare bug that caused charm notches to disappear has been corrected.
- Fixed Radiance’s orb attack hitbox lingering. The orb projectiles in the Radiance boss fight no longer deal “phantom” damage after disappearing.
- Fixed Mawlurks being pushable by Infected Balloons. These enemies no longer behave oddly when popped by the balloon projectile.
- Fixed Mantis Traitors being damageable while underground. Mantis traitor enemies underground now properly avoid damage.
- Fixed Journal notification icons. Notification icons now reliably appear and display correctly.
- Fixed instances of the ‘New Journal Entry’ pop-up not displaying. The journal UI has been corrected.
- Fixed Hunter’s note kill count. Hunter’s journal entries now correctly record note kills in all instances.
- Fixed Baldur Shell lingering too long. The charm now ends its protective effect at the proper time.
- Fixed double-damage audio. The correct sound effect plays when dealing double damage (it was previously playing the single-damage SFX).
- Fixed Heavy Fool’s dash attack distance. Heavy Fool enemies’ dash now travels its intended full length.
- Various performance improvements. General optimizations across the game.
- Various small fixes. Additional minor bugs were addressed.
These notes are drawn from the Steam update announcement, which details all the changes in patch 1.5.12620.
Hollow Knight Final Boss Glitch Fix Explained
One of the most notable items in the patch is the fix for a long-standing glitch in Hollow Knight’s final boss fight. For years, players observed that the Radiance boss could land hits in a way that felt unfair. The issue was that Radiance’s orb attack – golden light spheres thrown during the fight’s later phase – sometimes dealt damage even after they visually disappeared. In other words, the orb’s hitbox lingered fractionally longer than its animation.
This glitch meant that players could be hit by an attack that seemed to have ended, leading to many unexpected deaths (especially on Radiant difficulty). The new patch “Fixed Radiance’s orb attack hitbox lingering slightly longer than intended if the orb expires in the air”. In plain terms, the orb now behaves exactly as it appears: once it disappears, it no longer can hit the Knight. Team Cherry has acknowledged and corrected the issue, so the Radiance fight no longer contains this hidden difficulty spike.
Hollow Knight Radiance Orb Attack Bug Explained
The Radiance boss – the true final boss of Hollow Knight – has a phase where she hurls shimmering golden orbs at the player. These orbs home in on the Knight and can be devastatingly fast and damaging. Prior to patch 1.5.12620, there was a subtle hitbox glitch: when an orb expired mid-air (for example, if it left the screen or disappeared at end of its path), its collision box remained active a split-second longer than the visual effect. As a result, players were getting hit by “invisible” orbs that looked like they were gone. This was particularly punishing because it felt like the game was behaving unfairly.
Developers have now corrected this: orbs will disappear cleanly and no longer harm the Knight after vanishing. In practice, the Radiance orb attack remains the same in appearance and timing, but you can trust that once the orb is gone on screen, it truly is harmless. This change ensures that any damage taken from Radiance now accurately reflects the player’s error or dodge timing, rather than a hidden bug.
What the New Hollow Knight Update Changes
Beyond the Radiance fix, the March 2026 patch includes a broad range of other changes. These cover quality-of-life improvements, bug corrections, and new content localization. Key changes include adding Traditional Chinese language support, correcting audio/visual issues, and eliminating various oddities in gameplay. For example, inventory audio glitches and certain UI bugs were fixed, as noted above.
Significantly, the patch adds Traditional Chinese translation, opening up Hollow Knight to a wider audience. The developers also addressed rare combat bugs involving enemies (like Mawlurks and Mantis Traitors) and charms (like Baldur Shell). Overall, the update is a comprehensive cleanup that makes the game more polished after nine years.
Team Cherry Hollow Knight Patch March 2026
Team Cherry released the 1.5.12620 update quietly on 29 March 2026. In their March 2026 announcement, the developers noted that the patch included several technical fixes such as “low sound volume when navigating the inventory” and text overlap issues in key binding menus. Importantly, the Radiance bug fix was explicitly listed as “Fixed a bug where the hitbox of Radiance’s Spheres remained active slightly longer than intended”.
This March patch follows earlier 2026 updates and demonstrates Team Cherry’s continued support of the original game, even as Hollow Knight: Silksong and its expansions loom on the horizon. As one news site put it, “After 9 years, the authors of Hollow Knight fixed the final boss”.
Is the Hollow Knight Final Boss Bug Finally Fixed
Yes – the notorious Radiance orb hitbox bug is finally resolved. The patch notes explicitly confirm the fix for Radiance’s attack. In community discussions, players expressed surprise and relief that this update came after nearly a decade. The fix means that Radiance’s final phase now behaves as intended: orbs will no longer deliver post-disappearance hits.
This doesn’t make Radiance easy – she remains an extremely challenging boss, especially on higher difficulties – but it removes one source of “cheap” deaths. From now on, any mistake in the Radiance fight will be due to player skill or genuine difficulty, not a lingering hitbox.
Hollow Knight Latest Patch Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements
The 1.5.12620 patch addresses numerous bugs and optimises game performance. Notable fixes and improvements include:
- Localization and Audio/Visual fixes: Added Traditional Chinese support, fixed quiet inventory navigation audio, and corrected text alignment issues in the UI.
- Charm and Combat fixes: Fixed a rare charm bug (overcharmed notches removal), and ensured Baldur Shell and Heavy Fool attacks function correctly.
- Enemy hitbox fixes: Mawlurks can no longer be unexpectedly pushed by balloon bugs, and Mantis Traitors won’t take damage while underground.
- Journal/UI fixes: Improved journal notifications and pop-ups (full entry icons and text show up properly).
- Audio feedback fixes: Corrected the double-damage sound effect to play properly.
- Performance: Various general performance optimizations were made to smooth out gameplay.
These fixes, drawn from the official patch notes and press coverage, ensure a more stable and polished Hollow Knight experience.
Hollow Knight Traditional Chinese Translation Update
One highlight of the patch is the addition of a Traditional Chinese localization. This means all in-game text (menus, dialogue, journals, etc.) is now available in Traditional Chinese. The patch notes explicitly state “Added Traditional Chinese translation”. This update likely improves the game’s accessibility in regions like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, and shows continued support for the global fanbase.
Hollow Knight Inventory Audio and UI Fixes
The patch also fixed specific UI issues players had reported. A known bug caused the game’s audio to drop in the inventory menus; this has been fixed so that menu navigation sounds are at the correct volume. Similarly, text labels in the settings (where players bind keys to actions) could overlap if a large key (Shift, Space, etc.) was assigned. The update corrected the text alignment in these menus to prevent any clipping. These fixes make navigating menus and rebinding controls smoother.
Hollow Knight Enemy and Combat Bug Fixes
Several combat-related bugs were addressed:
- Mawlurks (grub-like enemies) are no longer pushed by Infected Balloons, preventing an exploit or glitch.
- Mantis Traitors underground now properly avoid damage as intended.
- Baldur Shell charm no longer lasts too long – its protective bubble now ends at the correct time.
- Heavy Fool (a miniboss) dash attack now covers its full intended range.
- Damage audio: the sound played when dealing double damage was corrected to prevent wrong SFX.
These combat fixes (cited from the patch log and press reports) resolve edge cases that could disrupt gameplay strategy.
Hollow Knight February 2026 Update and Ultrawide Support
Prior to the March patch, a February 2026 update (v1.5.12459) introduced support for ultrawide monitors. This older patch “added support for 21:9 & 16:10 resolutions”, meaning the game could natively run on common ultrawide aspect ratios without black bars. It also made the game pause when in inventory menus and upgraded the controller input system for broader compatibility. Additional February fixes included adding a dithering effect to reduce visual banding, fixing a softlock in City of Tears, and tweaking boss and map behaviors. Together, the February and March 2026 updates modernised the game’s display and polished remaining issues.
Hollow Knight Radiance Fight After the Patch
After applying the patch, players report that the Radiance fight feels only slightly changed – except for the critical bug fix. The visual pattern of Radiance’s attacks and orb projectiles is unchanged, but orbs simply vanish cleanly when they disappear. In practice, this makes the fight marginally more fair. Veterans note that the orbs now “behave the way they look”, meaning a dodge that looks successful on-screen is genuinely safe. Many players who struggled with the old bug now find that any remaining difficulty is due to legitimate challenge, not the game’s fault. As one community summary put it, for anyone who previously “bounced off” the Radiance, the patch is a strong reason to return and try again.
How to Update Hollow Knight on Steam
On PC (Steam), the update is delivered automatically through the Steam client. As long as Steam is running and connected, it should download patch 1.5.12620 (released 27 March 2026) when Hollow Knight launches. You can verify you have the latest version by checking Steam’s “Properties” → “Updates” for Hollow Knight and ensuring it’s set to auto-update. Once updated, launching the game will apply the new fixes immediately. (For other platforms like Switch or GOG, look for patch notes on the respective store pages; Nintendo Switch players should see the update download automatically in late March 2026.)
Hollow Knight Patch History From February to March 2026
For context, Hollow Knight saw two major patches in early 2026. The February update (v1.5.12459, 5 Feb 2026) added ultrawide support and various fixes. The next major patch was the March update (v1.5.12620, 27 Mar 2026) with the Radiance hitbox fix and other changes. The SteamDB changelog confirms these versions and dates, with the February notes listing 21:9/16:10 support and the March notes showing Traditional Chinese and Radiance fixes. No further patches were released between these dates, so players moving from February to March builds receive all listed changes.
What the Radiance Bug Fix Means for New and Returning Players
For new players or those who gave up on the Radiance fight, this update is encouraging news. The Radiance encounter remains punishing but is now entirely skill-based, without unfair hidden hits. Newcomers to the game or Silksong fans revisiting the original may find Radiance’s final phase slightly easier to digest, knowing that surviving each orb attack truly reflects a correct dodge.
For returning Hollow Knight veterans, the fix is a long-awaited quality-of-life improvement – one community member quipped that it might prompt players to “pour one out” for those who had to beat Radiance under the old rules. In summary, the bug fix makes the fight more predictable and arguably more satisfying, ensuring that success (or failure) in the climactic Radiance battle comes from skill, not a bug.
10 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What exactly did the Radiance bug fix change?
The patch corrected the hitbox for Radiance’s orb attack. Previously, the orbs could hit the Knight a fraction of a second after they disappeared visually. Now, once an orb vanishes on screen, its hitbox is gone as well, so you can safely dodge it when it’s gone. - What is the version number and date of this update?
This fix is in version 1.5.12620 of Hollow Knight, which went live on 27 March 2026. You can see the build number and date in the Steam patch notes. - How do I get the update on Steam?
Steam should auto-update Hollow Knight if you’re online. To be sure, open Steam, go to your Library, right-click Hollow Knight, choose Properties → Updates, and ensure it’s set to “Always keep this game updated”. Then restart the game and check that the version in the lower left corner (on the title screen) shows 1.5.12620. - Does this update apply to consoles and other platforms?
The patch notes are specific to PC/Steam, but Team Cherry usually issues updates on all platforms. Nintendo Switch and other versions should receive a similar patch around the same time. Check the official Team Cherry channels or platform stores for version 1.5.12620 release notes. - Were there any new gameplay features in this patch?
No new mechanics or areas were added. This update is entirely bug fixes, optimizations, and QoL improvements. The only “new” content is the Traditional Chinese translation. Everything else fixes existing issues or adds support for things like ultrawide resolution (from February’s patch). - Why did it take so long to fix a bug from the original Hollow Knight?
Team Cherry focused on the sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong after the original release, so major updates to Hollow Knight slowed. With Silksong released and its expansions planned, Cherry has had more resources to revisit the first game. The developers themselves indicated this patch was partly driven by Silksong’s release – it reminded many players to return to Hollow Knight. - Does this fix affect all difficulties?
Yes. The Radiance bug fix applies to every playthrough. However, Radiant difficulty (the hardest mode) is the most affected by this change, since orbs are more common and deadly there. In any mode where you fight Radiance, the orb behavior is now consistent. - Are there other boss fixes or just Radiance?
This patch specifically mentions only the Radiance orb hitbox fix for bosses. Other enemy-related fixes (Mawlurks, Mantis Traitors) are minor and unrelated to bosses. The Radiance change was the only “final boss” bug mentioned. - Is ultrawide support included?
Ultrawide (21:9 and 16:10) support was actually added in February’s patch (v1.5.12459). The March 2026 update did not need to re-add it, since it was already present. After the Feb patch, Hollow Knight should display properly on ultrawide monitors. - Will there be more updates after this?
Team Cherry hasn’t announced any new Hollow Knight patches beyond 1.5.12620. The developers are now fully focused on Silksong expansions. However, this update shows Cherry’s commitment to the series, so if any major issues arise, they may patch them. For now, this appears to be the last big update for Hollow Knight itself, aside from platform-specific tweaks.
Conclusion
Patch 1.5.12620 brings Hollow Knight’s nine-year-old Radiance fight up to date by eliminating an infamous hitbox bug. In addition to traditional Chinese localization and several quality-of-life fixes, the update demonstrates Team Cherry’s continued care for their first game. With this fix, new and returning players can tackle the Radiance with confidence that any victory or defeat is earned. The patch history shows a clear trend: early 2026 updates have polished the experience (ultrawide support, UI tweaks) and the Radiance bug fix caps off this support. In short, the Radiance battle is now fairer, bugs have been squashed, and Hollow Knight remains a shining example of enduring indie game support.
Sources and Citations
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/367520/view/529875497931243580
Team Cherry, Hollow Knight Patch Notes (v1.5.12620) - https://games.gg/news/hollow-knight-radiance-boss-patch-fix/
Gavin Sheehan, “Hollow Knight Radiance Boss Fight Gets Hitbox Fix in New Patch” (Games.gg, Mar 30 2026) - https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/hollow-knight-just-fixed-a-bug-thats-plagued-the-final-boss-fight-for-9-years-and-i-dont-know-if-i-want-to-celebrate-or-cry-the-amount-of-deaths-to-this-is-insane/
Matt Wales, “Hollow Knight just fixed a bug… Radiance just got an update” (GamesRadar+, Mar 29 2026) - https://ixbt.games/en/news/2026/03/29/spustia-9-let-avtory-hollow-knight-ispravili-finalnogo-bossa-vyslo-martovskoe-obnovlenie.html
Boris Piletskiy, “After 9 years, the authors of Hollow Knight fixed the final boss – the March update is out” (IXBT Games, Mar 29 2026) - https://steamdb.info/app/367520/patchnotes/
SteamDB Hollow Knight Patch Notes (v1.5.12459, Feb 2026) and (v1.5.12620, Mar 2026)
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