Hazelight's director, Josef Fares, has recently provided clarity on his studio's relationship with EA and announced that the team behind the critically acclaimed games It Takes Two and Split Fiction is already hard at work on their next project. Known for his candid nature, including his infamous "f*** the Oscars" comment, Fares shared insights into Hazelight's past, present, and future during an interview on the Friends Per Second podcast.
For fans of Split Fiction, Hazelight's latest co-op adventure which received widespread critical acclaim, Fares confirmed that the team is beginning to brainstorm early ideas for their next endeavor. "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,'" Fares explained, reflecting on his mindset post-Split Fiction release. He described Split Fiction as the best-received game Hazelight has produced, yet his focus is already shifting to what's next. "Everybody is super happy, but I’m so fully-focused and excited on the next thing that we already have started,” he added.
While Fares remained tight-lipped about the specifics of Hazelight's upcoming project, citing that work began only a month ago, he assured that the studio's passion for co-op gaming would continue to influence their future work. "There is a reason why I can’t talk about the next game; it’s because it’s quite early," Fares noted. He emphasized that Hazelight typically spends no more than three to four years on a game, hinting that more details would emerge in due time. "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 publisher EA on several titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two, which have solidified the studio's reputation as a leading developer. Fares clarified 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 stated. "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 in the industry, Fares praised the publisher for their supportive role. "With that said, I have to say, they’re a good partner," he remarked. "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, with IGN awarding it a 9/10, but it has also achieved remarkable commercial success. The game sold 1 million copies within 48 hours of its release and reached 2 million copies sold in just one week, outpacing the sales of It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024.
