Stellantis executives have issued a formal apology following revelations that the massive Jeep Grand Cherokee recall affecting over 90,000 vehicles was directly linked to engineering staff being “completely distracted” by the six-year wait for indie video game Hollow Knight: Silksong, which finally released last week.
The recall, announced Tuesday for potential drive power loss issues, came just three days after Team Cherry’s highly anticipated sequel launched, prompting internal investigations that uncovered what company officials are calling “the most expensive gaming-related oversight in automotive history.”
“Our powertrain division had been refreshing the Hollow Knight subreddit approximately 847 times per day since 2019,” admitted Chief Engineering Officer Patricia Hendricks during a press conference. “When we discovered that six years of obsessive game speculation had coincided exactly with the Cherokee’s development timeline, we realized we had a problem.”
Internal company documents obtained by Regional Dispatch reveal that engineering meetings frequently devolved into discussions about potential Silksong release dates, with senior staff maintaining elaborate conspiracy theories about hidden game trailers and developer hints. The Cherokee’s drive system underwent only minimal testing because, according to one engineer’s testimony, “we were all too busy analyzing every pixel of the three-second Silksong trailer for clues.”
Stellantis has announced a complete overhaul of its workplace gaming policies, implementing what they call “Productivity Through Controlled Gaming Anticipation.” The new system allows employees to obsess over upcoming video game releases, but only during designated “Speculation Hours” between 3-4 PM daily.
“We’re not anti-gaming,” explained Human Resources Director Marcus Chen. “We just need to ensure that when our engineers are designing brake systems, they’re thinking about brake systems, not whether the Knight will get new abilities in Silksong.”
The gaming industry has responded with surprising accountability. Team Cherry issued a statement acknowledging that their “prolonged development silence” may have negatively impacted “non-gaming sectors of the global economy.” Several other indie developers have announced expedited release schedules to prevent similar industrial incidents.
Auto industry analysts worry the issue extends beyond Stellantis. Ford recently delayed its electric truck launch, citing “staff distraction over Elden Ring DLC,” while Toyota admitted that their latest hybrid system was designed by engineers who were “admittedly preoccupied with Breath of the Wild sequel speculation.”
Consumer safety advocate Barbara Morrison called for federal oversight of gaming-related workplace distractions. “If engineers can’t focus on making safe cars because they’re wondering about video game bee characters, we need regulatory intervention,” Morrison stated, referencing Hollow Knight’s insect-themed protagonist.
Stellantis stock rose 3% following the announcement, with investors apparently relieved that the recall had a “manageable cause” rather than fundamental design flaws.