Hazelight director Josef Fares has recently provided clarity on his 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 interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, Fares, known for his candid remarks including the infamous "f*** the Oscars" comment, discussed Hazelight's journey and future plans. Following the success of Split Fiction, their latest critically acclaimed co-op adventure, Fares shared that the team is already brainstorming early concepts for their next game.
Fares expressed his 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.’" He highlighted the exceptional reception of Split Fiction, noting it as the best-received game Hazelight has produced to date. Despite this, his focus and excitement are already directed towards the next project, which the team began working on about a month ago.
While Fares kept details about the new game under wraps due to its early stage, he assured fans that Hazelight remains committed to their signature co-op gaming style. He mentioned that the studio typically spends three to four years on a game, suggesting that more information will be forthcoming in the near future. "There is a reason why I can’t talk about the next game; it’s because it’s quite early," Fares explained, adding, "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."
Over the past seven years, Hazelight has collaborated with EA on several titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two, solidifying their reputation as a leading developer. Fares emphasized that EA acts as a supportive partner rather than a directive force, 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." He praised EA for respecting Hazelight's creative autonomy, despite the publisher's mixed reputation in the industry.
Fares concluded by affirming EA's positive role in Hazelight's success, 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, earning a 9/10 from IGN, but also achieved remarkable sales figures, selling 1 million copies within 48 hours and 2 million copies in just one week. This success surpasses that of It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024, further cementing Hazelight's position in the gaming industry.
