Hazelight director Josef Fares recently discussed his studio’s strong relationship with EA and revealed that the team behind It Takes Two and Split Fiction is already crafting its next project.

The creative mind known for the bold “f*** the Oscars” remark shared insights on Hazelight’s journey during an interview on the Friends Per Second podcast. For fans of Split Fiction, the studio’s latest critically praised co-op adventure, Fares confirmed that early concepts for the next game are in development.

“Once a game is released, I’m ready to move on. I’m already thinking about what’s next,” Fares said, reflecting on his mindset after Split Fiction’s launch. “This game has been especially well-received, our best yet. Everyone’s thrilled, but I’m fully focused on our next project, which we’ve already started.”

Fares kept details about Hazelight’s next title under wraps, noting that development only began about a month ago. Known for its innovative co-op games, Hazelight is likely years away from revealing how it will follow up Split Fiction.

“I can’t share much about the next game because it’s still early,” Fares noted. “At Hazelight, we typically work on a game for three to four years. That’s not too far off, and we’ll share more then. For now, we’re incredibly excited and just getting started.”

A Tale of Two Studios

Hazelight has collaborated with EA on multiple projects over the past seven years. Titles like A Way Out and It Takes Two have cemented the studio’s reputation as a top developer, with Fares emphasizing that EA has had no influence over their creative choices.

“People don’t realize this, but we don’t pitch games to EA,” he said. “We tell them, ‘This is what we’re making.’ They have no say in our creative direction.”

Despite EA’s mixed reputation as a publisher, Fares described the partnership as positive, with Hazelight forging ahead on its next venture.

“I’ll be honest—EA has been a great partner,” Fares said. “Some don’t believe me, saying, ‘It’s EA.’ I can’t speak for their work with other studios, but with us, they’ve been respectful. We’re clear they can’t interfere, and now we’re one of their most successful studios.”

Split Fiction has further cemented Hazelight’s success. The game earned high praise (IGN’s Split Fiction review gave it a 9/10) and sold 1 million copies in 48 hours, reaching 2 million in a week. It’s already surpassing It Takes Two, which sold 20 million copies by October 2024.