Summary
Arriving 10 years ago today following a rousing success on Kickstarter, Yacht Club Games’Shovel Knightis perhaps one of the most pivotal indie titles to ever be released. As both one of the first large-scale indie game Kickstarter success stories and one of the first titles in a new wave of marquis indie releases following the success of titles likeSuper Meat Boy,Braid, andFez,Shovel Knightwould help inspire an entirely new generation of indie developers. The game’s long tail of support from Yacht Club is an undeniable influence on other indie successes likeDead Cells, and the recent reveal of the title getting a full-fledged sequel has been a long time coming.
FollowingShovel Knight’s initial 1.0 release on July 25, 2025, the title would go on to receive nearly a decade of support from Yacht Club in the form of free updates, new characters, expansions, spin-off games, and more. As part of the game’s 10th-anniversary celebration, Yacht Club revealed that the definitive version of the title,Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX,will be released soon, and also dropped the bomb that a sequel is in development. Given the title’s importance in the indie world as well as in the gaming industry as a whole, the announcement of a propersequel toShovel Knightis exactly what the franchise needs and deserves.
Shovel Knight’s Sequel Has Been a Long Time Coming
Shovel Knightis one of the more noteworthy early Kickstarter success stories for indie game development. Its funding campaign would launch in March 2013, far surpassing its initial $75,000 goal to raise just over $311,000 in a month, closing funding in April 2013.
Yacht Club Games' successfulKickstarter campaign to fundShovel Knight’s development and release would garner plenty of attention for the title, and its runaway success after launch would only solidify its place as one of the most important indie hits ever developed. By 2018,Shovel Knighthad sold more than 2 million copies, and current estimates put the title at nearly 3 million units sold across all platforms and releases. However, rather than dive right into a brand-new game and full-fledged sequel, Yacht Club Games made the (at the time) atypical decision to continue supportingShovel Knightthrough a series of free updates.
In the years following the game’s release, Yacht Club has delivered three separate expansions that each introduce new characters and unique mechanics (Plague of Shadows, Spectre of Torment, and King of Cards), as well as a free spin-off arena battling game (Shovel Knight Showdown) and two full retail spin-off releases withShovel Knight DigandShovel Knight Pocket Dungeon. Yacht Club has kept itself busy delivering moreShovel Knightcontentto faithful fans along with newer upcoming projects likeMina the Hollower, but a proper sequel to the studio’s breakout title is both well-deserved and slightly overdue.
Players Will Get to Dive Into Shovel Knight’s Past Before Running Headlong Into Its Future
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Yacht Club Games is honoringShovel Knight’s legacyin more ways than currently developing a full-fledged sequel to the title. Ahead of the first reveal forShovel Knight’s official follow-up, players are getting the definitive version of theShovel Knightexperience withShovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX, which not only includes all previous content forShovel Knightbut also reintroduces features and options that were present in every version of the game in an act of game preservation. That the new, definitive version ofShovel Knightis also going to introduce even more new content and characters is fitting given Yacht Club’s long tail of support for the title and a proper send-off for one of themost important indie platformers.
Shovel Knight
WHERE TO PLAY
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is the full and complete edition of Shovel Knight, a sweeping classic action-adventure game series with awesome gameplay, memorable characters, and an 8-bit retro aesthetic! Run, jump, and battle as Shovel Knight, wielder of the Shovel Blade, in a quest for his lost beloved. Take down the nefarious knights of the Order of No Quarter and confront their menacing leader, The Enchantress.But that’s not everything! Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove also features four additional games all unto themselves! Take control of Plague Knight, Specter Knight, and King Knight on adventures of their own or battle each other in a local four player Showdown. Together, they form a grand and sweeping saga!With Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, you get it all. Play with a friend in Shovel of Hope’s cooperative campaign, test your mettle in full-featured challenge modes, battle together in Showdown, and change the game with Body Swap mode. Uphold the virtues of Shovelry, earn relics and riches, and discover the true meaning of shovel justice!
