Hazelight's director, Josef Fares, recently provided clarity on his studio's relationship with EA and teased the development of their next game following the success of It Takes Two and Split Fiction. In an interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, Fares, known for his candid remarks including the infamous "f*** the Oscars" comment, shared insights into Hazelight's past achievements and future plans. For fans of Split Fiction, Hazelight's latest critically acclaimed co-op adventure, Fares revealed that the team is already brainstorming early concepts for their next project.
Fares expressed his forward-thinking approach, 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.’" He highlighted that Split Fiction has been particularly well-received, yet his focus has swiftly shifted to the excitement surrounding their upcoming game. Although Fares kept details under wraps, he mentioned that work on the new title started about a month ago. Hazelight, celebrated for its contributions to co-op gaming, will keep fans waiting a few more years before unveiling their next project.
"There is a reason why I can’t talk about the next game; it’s because it’s quite early," Fares noted. He emphasized Hazelight's efficient development timeline, stating, "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. 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, reinforcing its position as a top developer in the gaming industry. Fares clarified the nature of their partnership, stating, "Here’s the thing, people don’t understand this: EA is a supporter. We don’t pitch games to them. 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 varied reputation among developers, Fares praised their partnership, saying, "With that said, I have to say, they’re a good partner. 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's review scoring it a 9/10, but it has also achieved remarkable sales figures. The game sold 1 million copies within just 48 hours and 2 million copies in its first week, outpacing the sales of It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024. This success story further cements Hazelight's reputation in the gaming world.
