This afternoon, I received a message from my PM — a project I had worked on was compiling its credits, and they wanted to know what name I’d like to be credited under. In the year since I became a game localization translator, this marked the second time my name would appear on a game’s credits list. However, this was the first time as a translator.

Honestly, upon receiving that message, I was filled with excitement — but alongside it, there was an underlying sense of pressure. Looking back, that pressure likely stemmed from the recent Hollow Knight: Silksong English-to-Chinese localization fiasco.

I wouldn’t say I was particularly familiar with the Hollow Knight IP. My only prior exposure was during a trial translation where I translated a short passage of poetry. But even that brief snippet sparked a deep interest in the game, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating and following news about Hollow Knight: Silksong ever since. I never expected that the final outcome would be such a regrettable localization disaster.

I won’t go into the full background of the incident here — those interested can find the details in this article from YYGamer.

In essence, the Chinese localization of Hollow Knight: Silksong was undone by a translator who was both unprofessional and grossly overconfident. The poor translation quality sparked widespread dissatisfaction among Chinese players. In an age dominated by AI translation, this outcome inevitably leads one to wonder: might many players now feel that such substandard localization is actually worse than simply using AI — more convenient, more accurate, and more direct?

An industry veteran wrote in his blog:

Localization is best when invisible — players notice the world, not the words.

He also commented on the Chinese localization of Hollow Knight: Silksong:

The Hollow Knight was born of God and Void. The Hollow Translation was born of ego and folly.

Coming back to this credits listing — I can confidently say I have not committed the kind of arrogance and self-importance that the Silksong translator did. Throughout my involvement in this project, I made it a point to verify every term, research relevant context and background materials, all with the aim of delivering a clear and accessible gaming experience for players. With that in mind, I decided to continue using FreddieFu — the English name I’ve used for years — and signed off on the credits.

For me, this credit is more than just proof of two weeks of diligent work, thorough verification, and careful translation. It is a point of pride, a mark of trust, and — most fundamentally — a commitment. Being credited as a translator means I am making a promise to players: that I will do everything in my power to deliver an outstanding gaming experience for every player in the Chinese-speaking context.

Looking ahead, I hope to accumulate richer experience as a translator, and to sign my name with greater confidence on the credits of more outstanding games — fulfilling this translator’s commitment, one step at a time.