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

Hazelight's director, Josef Fares, recently provided insights into his studio's relationship with EA and shared exciting news about their upcoming projects. In an interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, Fares, known for his candid remarks including the infamous “f\*\*\* the Oscars” line, discussed the studio's trajectory following the success of their latest co-op adventure, Split Fiction.

Fares revealed that the team at Hazelight is already brainstorming early ideas for their next game. He expressed 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.’" Despite the overwhelmingly positive reception to Split Fiction, which he described as "the best-received game we have done," Fares is already fully focused on what's next. Work on the new project began approximately a month ago, but he remained tight-lipped about specifics, noting that it's still in the early stages.

Fares emphasized the importance of patience, as Hazelight typically spends no more than three to four years on a game. "Three or four years is not so far away. Then we’re going to talk more about it," he said, adding that the team is "very, very, very, very excited" about the new project.

A Tale of Two Studios

Over the past seven years, Hazelight has collaborated with publisher EA on several successful titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two. Fares clarified that EA has had "zero" input 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 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."

Despite EA's varied reputation among developers, Fares described his experience with the publisher as positive. "With that said, I have to say, they’re a good partner," he noted. "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 been a resounding success, earning high praise from critics, including a 9/10 from IGN. It sold 1 million copies within the first 48 hours and 2 million copies in just one week, outpacing the sales of It Takes Two, which reached 20 million copies by October 2024. This latest achievement further solidifies Hazelight's position as a leading developer in the gaming industry.