Hazelight director Josef Fares recently provided clarity on his studio's relationship with EA and shared exciting news about the developer's next project. Known for his candid nature and the infamous "f\*\*\* the Oscars" comment, Fares discussed Hazelight's journey and future plans on the Friends Per Second podcast. Fans of the studio's latest critically acclaimed co-op adventure, Split Fiction, will be thrilled to learn that the team is already brainstorming ideas for their next game.
Fares expressed his forward-thinking 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.’" He emphasized that while Split Fiction has been the best-received game Hazelight has produced, his focus has swiftly shifted to the next project, which the team began working on just a month ago. Although details about the new game are scarce due to its early stage, Fares assured fans that excitement is high within the studio.
Fares mentioned that Hazelight typically spends no more than three to four years on a project, hinting that fans might hear more about the new game in the near future. "There is a reason why I can’t talk about the next game; it’s because it’s quite early," he explained. "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."
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 mixed reputation, Fares stressed that the publisher has had "zero" influence on the games Hazelight chooses to develop. "Here’s the thing, people don’t understand this: EA is a supporter. We don’t pitch games to them," he clarified. "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 as a good partner, countering skepticism about the publisher's relationship with developers. "With that said, I have to say, they’re a good partner," he said. "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 seen remarkable commercial success. The game sold 1 million copies within 48 hours of its release and reached 2 million copies sold in just one week. This impressive performance puts it ahead of Hazelight's previous title, It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024.
