Hazelight director Josef Fares recently provided clarity on his studio's relationship with EA and announced that the team behind It Takes Two and Split Fiction is already hard at work on their next project. Known for his candid nature, including the infamous "f*** the Oscars" comment, Fares discussed Hazelight's journey on the Friends Per Second podcast. For fans of their latest critically acclaimed co-op adventure, Split Fiction, Fares shared that the team is beginning to brainstorm new ideas.
Fares expressed his approach to game development, stating, "For me, personally, every time a game is out, I'm kind of done with it. I'm kind of like, 'OK, here's the next thing.'" He highlighted the success of Split Fiction, noting it as the studio's best-received game to date, yet his focus remains firmly on the future. "This has been a bit extra special. I would say that it's been the best-received game we have done, but to be honest, everybody is super happy, but I'm so fully-focused and excited on the next thing that we already have started."
While Fares is eager about the new project, he kept details under wraps, mentioning that the team only began work about a month ago. Hazelight's reputation in co-op gaming is well-established, but fans will need to wait a few more years to learn more about the follow-up to Split Fiction. "There is a reason why I can't talk about the next game; it's because it's quite early," Fares explained. "You do know, at Hazelight, we don't work on [a] game more than three or four years. Three or four years is not so far away. Then we're going to talk more about it. It's way too early, but just know this: we are very, very, very, very excited here. Very excited, and we started working on this a month ago-ish."
A Tale of Two Studios
Over the past seven years, Hazelight has collaborated with EA on several titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two, cementing its status as a leading developer. Fares emphasized that EA has had "zero" influence over the games Hazelight chooses to develop. "Here's the thing, people don't understand this: EA is a supporter. We don't pitch games to them," he clarified. "We say, 'We're going to do this.' That's it. They have zero, and I mean zero, thing to say about what we're doing next."
Despite EA's mixed reputation, Fares described his experience with the publisher as positive. "With that said, I have to say, they're a good partner," he added. "Nobody believes me. Whatever I say, they're like, 'Yeah, yeah. It's EA.' Look, I don't know anything about what EA are doing. Maybe they're f***ing up with other developers. With us, no. They respect us. They respect what we do. I'm very clear with them that they cannot interfere with what we do. Now, we have become one of their most successful studios."
Split Fiction has not only received high praise from critics, earning a 9/10 from IGN, but it also achieved remarkable sales figures, selling 1 million copies within 48 hours and 2 million copies in just one week. This success outpaces It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024, further solidifying Hazelight's position in the gaming industry.
