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 teased that the team behind It Takes Two and Split Fiction is already diving into their next project. In an engaging interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, the creative mind behind the memorable "f*** the Oscars" statement delved into Hazelight's past achievements, current status, and future aspirations. Fans of Split Fiction, Hazelight's latest critically acclaimed cooperative adventure, will be pleased to know that the team is brainstorming early ideas for their next venture.

Fares shared his post-release mindset, 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 Split Fiction has been particularly well-received, yet his focus is firmly set on the future. "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 Fares kept details about Hazelight's next title under wraps, mentioning that work began only about a month ago, he assured fans that the studio's passion for co-op gaming remains strong. "There is a reason why I can't talk about the next game; it's because it's quite early," Fares noted. "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 publisher EA on multiple titles. Despite EA's sometimes controversial reputation, Fares highlighted that the publisher has been a supportive partner for Hazelight, allowing the studio full creative control. "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."

Fares praised EA's hands-off approach, stating, "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 has not only solidified Hazelight's reputation but also achieved significant commercial success. The game garnered high praise from critics, with IGN's review awarding it a 9/10. In just 48 hours, Split Fiction sold 1 million copies, and within a week, it reached 2 million copies sold, outpacing the sales of its predecessor, It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024.