Lauren Koopowitz, the voice behind Shakra and over 20 other characters in Hollow Knight: Silksong, describes Team Cherry as “healthy workaholics.” In a conversation with Dan Allen Gaming, she addressed whether the studio tends to pull 12-hour shifts to meet tight deadlines. Koopowitz mentioned, “it depends on the cycle of where the game is at and what deadlines are around.” However, she has an overall positive impression of Team Cherry’s commitment to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Work Ethic and Balance
Koopowitz emphasized that Team Cherry is dedicated and mindful of their employees’ well-being. “I feel like they’d be the best bosses ever in that they’re very, very mindful that people have lives and need to have a good quality of life,” she stated. She acknowledged their hard work, but also noted, “I’d be lying if I said that they’re not very hard workers. Like, they were working a lot. But I’m also very thankful that it wasn’t like a big pressure cooker. They weren’t so intense about it and really trying to rush their team to get everything done.” She concluded with a laugh, “They definitely have a good balance. Healthy workaholics.”
Team Dynamics
During the interview, Koopowitz referred to the Team Cherry members as “very lovely guys,” who were always open to her suggestions as a voice actor. “I’d chit chat and pitch things and be like ‘oh do you think that maybe she’s feeling like this’ and maybe give it a go like that,” she recalled. It’s refreshing to know that a highly anticipated game is being developed by such considerate individuals, suggesting that Team Cherry promotes a supportive and balanced work atmosphere.
Game Difficulty Insights
Regarding the notorious difficulty of Silksong, she touched on feedback from a Team Cherry tester, who also voiced the character Trobbio: “It was much harder when I did it… It was almost entirely nerfs to bosses that I got put in.”