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

Hazelight director Josef Fares has recently addressed the studio's relationship with EA and provided insights into their future projects. During an interview on the Friends Per Second podcast, Fares, known for his candid remarks including the infamous “f\*\*\* the Oscars” comment, discussed Hazelight's past successes and what lies ahead. Following the critical acclaim of their latest co-op adventure, Split Fiction, Fares revealed that the team is already brainstorming ideas for their next game.

Reflecting on his approach after releasing Split Fiction, Fares shared, “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.” Despite the enthusiasm, Fares remained tight-lipped about the specifics of Hazelight's upcoming project, noting that it's still in the very early stages, having begun just a month ago.

Fares emphasized the studio's rapid development cycle, stating, “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 publisher EA on several notable titles. Games like A Way Out and It Takes Two have not only solidified Hazelight's reputation as a leading developer but have also allowed them significant creative freedom. Fares clarified the nature of their partnership with EA, saying, “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 spoke positively about their collaboration, 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 proven to be another triumph for Hazelight, receiving high praise from critics, with IGN awarding it a 9/10. The game achieved remarkable sales figures, selling 1 million copies within 48 hours and reaching 2 million copies in just one week. This success has already surpassed the sales of their previous title, It Takes Two, which sold 20 million copies by October 2024.