Split Fiction Dev Calls EA a 'Good Partner' as Hazelight Begins Work on Next Game

Hazelight director Josef Fares has addressed his studio's relationship with EA, confirming that development on their next game is already underway. The creator of the infamous "f** the Oscars" line discussed Hazelight's past, present, and future in an interview on the Friends Per Second podcast. Regarding their critically acclaimed co-op adventure, Split Fiction*, Fares stated the team has begun brainstorming ideas for their next project.

He explained his post-release mentality, saying, "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.’ This has been a bit extra special. I would say that it’s been the best-received game we have done, but to be honest, everybody is super happy, but I’m so fully-focused and excited on the next thing that we already have started.”

While remaining tight-lipped about specifics due to the project's early stages (approximately one month into development), Fares confirmed Hazelight's continued focus on co-op gaming. He indicated a wait of at least a few years before further details will be revealed, adding, “There is a reason why I can’t talk about the next game; it’s because it’s quite early…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

Fares clarified Hazelight's collaborative relationship with EA, emphasizing EA's supportive role rather than dictatorial influence. He stated, “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.”

Despite EA's sometimes controversial reputation, Fares expressed a positive experience, 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's success further solidified Hazelight's position. The game achieved high critical acclaim (including a 9/10 from IGN), selling 1 million copies in 48 hours and 2 million in a week—surpassing the initial sales pace of its predecessor, It Takes Two, which reached 20 million copies sold by October 2024.