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

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 hard at work on their next project. In an insightful 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 endeavors. Fans of Split Fiction, Hazelight's latest critically acclaimed co-op adventure, will be pleased to know that the team is already brainstorming early concepts for their next game.

Fares shared his personal 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 emphasized that while Split Fiction has been exceptionally well-received, his focus and excitement are now directed towards the new project, which the team began working on about a month ago. Although Fares kept details about the upcoming title under wraps, he assured fans that the studio is "very, very, very, very excited" about what's to come.

Hazelight, renowned for its impact on co-op gaming, typically spends no more than three to four years on a single project. Fares hinted that more information about the new game will be shared as it progresses, but for now, the studio is in the early stages of development.

A Tale of Two Studios

Over the past seven years, Hazelight has collaborated with publisher EA on several successful titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two. Fares clarified that EA acts as a supporter rather 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 explained. "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 being a good partner to Hazelight. He noted, "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 achieved remarkable commercial success. The game sold 1 million copies within the first 48 hours and reached 2 million copies sold in just one week, surpassing the sales pace of its predecessor, It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024.