Hazelight's director, Josef Fares, has recently provided clarity on his studio's relationship with EA and excitingly announced that the team behind It Takes Two and Split Fiction is already diving into their next project. During an insightful interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, Fares, famously known for his candid "f*** the Oscars" remark, discussed the studio's journey, its current endeavors, and future aspirations. Fans of Split Fiction, Hazelight's latest critically acclaimed cooperative adventure, will be thrilled to learn that early concepts for a new game are already in the works.

Reflecting on his approach to game development post-release, Fares shared, "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 emphasized the special reception Split Fiction has received, noting it as the best-received game Hazelight has ever produced. Despite the success, Fares' focus swiftly shifted to the future, expressing immense excitement about the new project which began roughly a month ago.

While Fares remained tight-lipped about the specifics of Hazelight's next title—its name, theme, or genre—he hinted that more details would emerge in the coming years, given Hazelight's tradition of completing games within three to four years. He added, "There is a reason why I can’t talk about the next game; it’s because it’s quite 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 publisher EA on several successful titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two, cementing its status as a top developer in the gaming industry. Fares clarified the nature of their relationship with EA, stating, "Here’s the thing, people don’t understand this: EA is a supporter. We don’t pitch games to them...They have zero, and I mean zero, thing to say about what we’re doing next." Despite EA's often controversial reputation, Fares praised their partnership, saying, "With that said, I have to say, they’re a good partner...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 reinforced Hazelight's reputation for excellence but also achieved remarkable commercial success. The game garnered a 9/10 from IGN, sold 1 million copies within 48 hours, and reached 2 million copies in just one week. This rapid sales performance has already surpassed that of its predecessor, It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024.