Hazelight's director, Josef Fares, recently addressed the studio's relationship with EA and announced that the team behind It Takes Two and Split Fiction is already working on their next project. During an engaging interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, Fares, known for his candid remarks including the infamous "f*** the Oscars" line, shared insights into Hazelight's past achievements and future endeavors.
Following the success of Split Fiction, their latest critically acclaimed co-op adventure, Fares revealed that the team is brimming with early ideas for their next game. He explained his mindset post-release, 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.’" Despite Split Fiction being the best-received game Hazelight has produced, Fares is already fully focused on the excitement of what's next, with development starting roughly a month ago.
While Fares kept details about Hazelight's upcoming title under wraps, he assured fans that the studio is known for its impactful contributions to co-op gaming. Although it may take a few years before more information is shared, Fares emphasized the early stage of development, saying, "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."
A Tale of Two Studios
Over the past seven years, Hazelight has collaborated with publisher EA on several titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two. These games have solidified Hazelight's reputation as a leading developer in the industry. Fares clarified that EA acts as a supporter, not a director, of their creative process. "Here’s the thing, people don’t understand this: 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 mixed reputation, Fares described his experience with the publisher as largely positive. He praised EA for respecting Hazelight's autonomy and creative vision, 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 garnered high praise from critics, with IGN awarding it a 9/10, but it also achieved remarkable commercial success. The game sold 1 million copies within the first 48 hours and 2 million copies in just one week, outpacing the sales of It Takes Two, which had reached 20 million copies sold by October 2024.
