Hazelight Praises EA as 'Good Partner' Amid Next Game Development

Hazelight director Josef Fares recently provided insights into his studio's relationship with EA and teased the development of their next project following the success of It Takes Two and Split Fiction. In an engaging interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, Fares, known for his candid remarks including the infamous "f*** the Oscars" line, discussed the studio's journey and future plans. For fans of their latest critically acclaimed co-op adventure, Split Fiction, Fares shared that the team is already brainstorming early concepts for their next endeavor.

Reflecting on the release of Split Fiction, Fares expressed a sense of closure and excitement for what lies ahead. "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 stated, emphasizing his forward-thinking approach. He noted that Split Fiction has been exceptionally well-received, yet his focus is already shifting to the next project, which the team started 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 delivering innovative co-op experiences. He mentioned that the studio typically works on a game for three to four years, hinting that more information will be forthcoming as development progresses. "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."

A Tale of Two Studios

Over the past seven years, Hazelight has collaborated with EA on several successful titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two, cementing its reputation as a leading developer. Fares clarified that EA acts more as a supporter than a director of Hazelight's creative process. "Here’s the thing, people don’t understand this: EA is a supporter. We don’t pitch games to them," he said. "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 in the industry, Fares emphasized that his studio's experience with the publisher has been overwhelmingly positive. "With that said, I have to say, they’re a good partner," he added. "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 it has also seen impressive sales figures. The game sold 1 million copies within 48 hours and 2 million copies in just one week, outpacing the sales of its predecessor, It Takes Two, which had reached 20 million copies sold by October 2024. This success story underscores Hazelight's continued impact and innovation in the gaming world.