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

Hazelight's director, Josef Fares, recently provided clarity on his studio's relationship with EA and shared exciting news about their next project following the success of It Takes Two and Split Fiction. In a candid interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, Fares, famously known for his "f*** the Oscars" comment, delved into Hazelight's past achievements, current status, and future endeavors. Fans of Split Fiction, the studio's latest critically acclaimed cooperative adventure, will be thrilled to learn that early ideas for the next game are already in development.

Fares expressed his typical forward-looking 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,’" reflecting on his mindset after launching Split Fiction. He acknowledged the exceptional reception of their latest title, describing it as "the best-received game we have done," yet his focus swiftly shifted to the excitement surrounding their upcoming project, which began development roughly a month ago.

While Fares kept details about the new game under wraps due to its early stage, he emphasized Hazelight's commitment to delivering innovative co-op experiences. He hinted that the next game, though still a few years away, promises to uphold the studio's tradition of excellence. "You do know, at Hazelight, we don’t work on [a] game more than three or four years," Fares noted, assuring fans that more information will be forthcoming as the project progresses.

A Tale of Two Studios

Over the past seven years, Hazelight has collaborated with EA on multiple successful titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two. Despite EA's often debated reputation in the industry, Fares emphasized the publisher's supportive role, stating, "EA is a supporter. We don’t pitch games to them... 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, noting, "They respect us. They respect what we do," and highlighted the studio's status as one of EA's most successful partners.

Split Fiction has not only garnered critical acclaim, with IGN awarding it a 9/10, but also achieved remarkable commercial success, selling 1 million copies within 48 hours and 2 million copies in just one week. This swift success outpaces It Takes Two, which had reached 20 million copies sold by October 2024, underscoring Hazelight's growing influence in the gaming world.