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

Hazelight's director, Josef Fares, recently addressed the studio's relationship with EA and teased the development of their next game following the success of It Takes Two and Split Fiction. In an engaging interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, the creative mind behind the now-famous “f\*\*\* the Oscars” comment delved into Hazelight’s past achievements, its current standing, and what the future holds.

For fans of Split Fiction, Hazelight's latest critically acclaimed co-op adventure, Fares shared that the team is already brainstorming early concepts for their next project. He emphasized his personal approach to game development, 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.’ 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 upcoming title under wraps, he did mention that work began approximately a month ago. Known for revolutionizing co-op gaming, Hazelight's next project remains a mystery, but fans can expect more information in the coming years. Fares noted, “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

Over the past seven years, Hazelight has collaborated with EA on several titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two, reinforcing its reputation as a top-tier developer. Fares clarified the nature of their partnership, stating, “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 varied reputation in the gaming industry, Fares praised their partnership, 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 has cemented its status as a Hazelight triumph. Not only did it receive high praise from critics, earning a 9/10 from IGN, but it also achieved remarkable sales figures, selling 1 million copies within 48 hours and 2 million in just one week. These numbers surpass those of its predecessor, It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024.