(Image credit: EA)
Split Fiction has barely hit the two-week mark since its launch, yet director Josef Fares has already revealed that Hazelight Studios is diving into their next creation. Fares is “fully focused” and “super excited” about the new endeavor.
The latest cooperative adventure from the creators of It Takes Two quickly made waves upon its release earlier this month. With one million copies sold in just two days, it soared to become Hazelight’s fastest-selling title. Moreover, on Metacritic, it proudly stands as the highest-rated game of the year.
In a conversation on the Friends Per Second podcast, Fares expressed that while the team is “super, super happy and excited” about their recent achievement, his sights are already set on future ventures.
Fares shared, “For me personally, once a game is released, I feel kind of done with it. It’s like, ‘OK, onto the next.’ But this one feels extra special since it’s been very well-received.” He couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, stating, “I’m so fully focused and excited about the next project that we’ve already begun. It feels super, super exciting.”
Although Fares hasn’t divulged details on the new game’s theme, he mentioned, “it’s quite early” with developmental work commencing around “a month ago.” He promises, “At Hazelight, our game cycles are typically three to four years, and it won’t be long before we share more.”
Regardless of what journey Hazelight embarks on next, fans can expect it to remain true to Fares’ vision. The director has vocally opposed microtransactions, criticizing them as a “huge problem” hindering the industry’s creativity.
It Takes Two, a massive hit selling over 20 million copies and winning Game of the Year, wasn’t always expected to succeed. Fares remembers when “all the numbers looked really, really bad” before their co-op studio grew into a “really big developer.”