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

Hazelight director Josef Fares has recently clarified the studio's relationship with EA and shared exciting news about their next project. The mastermind behind the iconic "f\*\*\* the Oscars" comment discussed Hazelight's journey on the Friends Per Second podcast. Following the success of their latest critically acclaimed co-op adventure, Split Fiction, Fares revealed that the team is already brainstorming ideas for their next game.

"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,’" Fares shared, reflecting on his mindset post-Split Fiction. He emphasized that while Split Fiction has been exceptionally well-received, his focus and excitement are now fully directed toward the next project, which they started working on about a month ago.

Although Fares kept details about Hazelight's upcoming game under wraps, he hinted at their commitment to co-op gaming innovation. He noted that it's too early to discuss specifics, as the development process at Hazelight typically spans three to four years. "There is a reason why I can’t talk about the next game; it’s because it’s quite early," Fares 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. 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 multiple titles, including A Way Out and It Takes Two, cementing their reputation as a top developer. Fares clarified that EA has "zero" influence on the games Hazelight decides to create. "Here’s the thing, people don’t understand this: EA is a supporter. We don’t pitch games to them," he stated. "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 often criticized reputation, Fares praised their partnership. "With that said, I have to say, they’re a good partner," he added. "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 further solidified Hazelight's success, quickly achieving high ratings from critics, including a 9/10 from IGN. It also sold 1 million copies within 48 hours and 2 million copies in just one week, surpassing the sales pace of its predecessor, It Takes Two, which had sold 20 million copies by October 2024.