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

Hazelight manager Josef Fares has taken the clip to wide the aerial astir his studio’s narration with EA portion promising that the It Takes Two and Split Fiction developer is already moving connected its adjacent game.

The originative down the infamous “f*** the Oscars” enactment spoke astir Hazelight’s past, present, and aboriginal during an interrogation connected the Friends Per Second podcast. For those who enjoyed Split Fiction, the studio’s astir caller critically acclaimed co-op adventure, helium says the squad is already putting immoderate aboriginal ideas together.

“For me, personally, each clip a crippled is out, I’m benignant of done with it. I’m benignant of like, ‘OK, here’s the adjacent thing,’” Fares explained erstwhile talking astir his mentality aft releasing Split Fiction. “This has been a spot other special. I would accidental that it’s been the best-received crippled we person done, but to beryllium honest, everybody is ace happy, but I’m truthful fully-focused and excited connected the adjacent happening that we already person started.”

Fares declined to stock excessively overmuch astir what Hazelight's mysterious adjacent rubric is called, what it’s about, oregon what benignant of crippled it volition be, mostly due to the fact that enactment lone began astir 1 period ago. Hazelight is good known for the people it’s near connected co-op gaming, but for now, we’ll person to hold astatine slightest a fewer much years to perceive however it plans to travel Split Fiction.

“There is simply a crushed wherefore I can’t speech astir the adjacent game; it’s due to the fact that it’s rather early,” Fares added. “You bash know, astatine Hazelight, we don’t enactment connected [a] crippled much than 3 oregon 4 years. Three oregon 4 years is not truthful acold away. Then we’re going to speech much astir it. It’s mode excessively early, but conscionable cognize this: we are very, very, very, precise excited here. Very excited, and we started moving connected this a period ago-ish.”

A Tale of Two Studios

Hazelight has worked with steadfast EA connected respective titles successful the past 7 years. While games similar A Way Out and It Takes Two person continued to unafraid the studio’s spot arsenic a starring developer successful the industry, Fares said the institution has had “zero” input erstwhile it comes to the games the developer chooses to enactment on.

“Here’s the thing, radical don’t recognize this: EA is simply a supporter. We don’t transportation games to them,” helium explained. “We say, ‘We’re going to bash this.’ That’s it. They person zero, and I mean zero, happening to accidental astir what we’re doing next.”

While EA has a mixed estimation arsenic a publisher, Fares said his acquisition with EA has been mostly affirmative arsenic Hazelight charges guardant to what’s coming next.

“With that said, I person to say, they’re a bully partner,” Fares added. “Nobody believes me. Whatever I say, they’re like, ‘Yeah, yeah. It’s EA.’ Look, I don’t cognize thing astir what EA are doing. Maybe they’re f***ing up with different developers. With us, no. They respect us. They respect what we do. I’m precise wide with them that they cannot interfere with what we do. Now, we person go 1 of their astir palmy studios.”

Split Fiction has easy solidified its spot arsenic different Hazelight occurrence communicative successful much ways than one. While it rapidly propelled itself to precocious ratings from critics (IGN's Split Fiction reappraisal returned a 9/10), it besides managed to merchantability 1 cardinal copies successful lone 48 hours and 2 cardinal copies successful conscionable 1 week. That means it’s already outpacing its erstwhile title, It Takes Two, which had sold 20 cardinal copies arsenic of October 2024.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance contributor with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).