Hazelight Calls EA 'Good Partner' on New Game

Hazelight Studios' director, Josef Fares, has clarified the nature of his team's partnership with publisher EA while confirming that the acclaimed developers behind "It Takes Two" and "Split Fiction" are already deep into conceptualizing their next project.

The creative visionary known for his infamous "f*** the Oscars" outburst discussed Hazelight's journey and future plans in a recent conversation on the Friends Per Second podcast. For fans of "Split Fiction," the studio's latest critically praised cooperative adventure, Fares revealed the team is actively brainstorming early concepts.

Describing his mindset after a game's release, Fares said, "Personally, once a game is out, I feel I'm done with it. My focus shifts immediately to 'What's next?'" He continued, reflecting on "Split Fiction," "This one was exceptional–arguably our best-received title. While the team is thrilled, I'm already completely focused and energized by the new project we've begun."

Fares kept details about Hazelight's mysterious next title under wraps, including its name, premise, or genre, noting that development only kicked off about a month ago. Though the studio has defined modern co-op gaming, we'll likely wait a few more years to learn how they plan to follow the success of "Split Fiction."

"There's a reason I can't discuss the next game–it's simply too early," Fares explained. "As you know, at Hazelight, our development cycles don't exceed three to four years. That timeframe isn't too distant, and we'll share more then. For now, just know we are incredibly, incredibly excited here. We started work on this roughly a month ago."

A Tale of Two Studios

Hazelight has collaborated with publisher EA on multiple titles over the past seven years. While games like "A Way Out" and "It Takes Two" have cemented the studio's industry standing, Fares emphasized that EA has had "zero" influence on the creative direction of Hazelight's projects.

"Here's something people often misunderstand: EA is a supporter, not a director," he clarified. "We don't pitch ideas to them for approval. We simply state, 'We're making this.' That's it. They have zero–and I mean zero–say in what we decide to create next."

Despite EA's mixed reputation among gamers, Fares recounted a largely positive experience with the publisher as Hazelight charges ahead.

"Having said that, I must acknowledge they've been a good partner," Fares added. "People are skeptical when I say this. They hear 'EA' and have their preconceptions. Look, I'm not involved in EA's other dealings. Maybe they have issues with other developers, but with us? No. They respect us and our creative process. I've been very clear that they cannot interfere, and we've since become one of their most successful studios."

"Split Fiction" has undoubtedly cemented itself as another major success for Hazelight. Beyond earning stellar reviews from critics (including a 9/10 from IGN), the game sold 1 million copies in its first 48 hours and reached 2 million sales within a week. This remarkable pace even surpasses the studio's previous hit, "It Takes Two," which had sold 20 million copies as of October 2024.