Split Fiction Dev Calls EA a 'Good Partner' as Hazelight Begins Work on Next Game

Hazelight director Josef Fares has recently addressed the studio's relationship with EA and shared exciting news about their next project following the success of It Takes Two and Split Fiction. In an insightful interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, Fares, famously known for his candid "f*** the Oscars" comment, discussed Hazelight's journey and future plans.

Fares expressed his personal 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.’" This mindset was evident after the release of Split Fiction, which he described as their best-received game to date. However, his focus has quickly shifted to the next project, which the team began conceptualizing just a month ago.

While Fares remained tight-lipped about the specifics of Hazelight's upcoming game, he emphasized the studio's commitment to not spending more than three or four years on a single project. He assured fans that despite being in the early stages, the excitement within the team is palpable. "We are very, very, very, very excited here. Very excited, and we started working on this a month ago-ish," he said.

Addressing the studio's relationship with EA, Fares clarified that the publisher has had "zero" influence on the creative decisions at Hazelight. "EA is a supporter. We don’t pitch games to them," he explained. "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 often controversial reputation, Fares praised them as a supportive partner, emphasizing the mutual respect that has contributed to Hazelight's success.

Split Fiction has proven to be a monumental success for Hazelight, achieving high critical acclaim with a 9/10 from IGN and impressive sales figures. The game sold 1 million copies within 48 hours and reached 2 million copies in just one week, surpassing the initial sales pace of It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024.

As Hazelight continues to innovate in the co-op gaming space, fans eagerly await more details on their next project, confident in the studio's ability to deliver another groundbreaking experience.