Swedish developer Hazelight Studios made a big name for herself in a relatively short time. Hazelight Studios, the creative outlet of former film director Josef Fares, has excelled in the co-op gaming world during its short life so far. The small developer has worked with EA as part of its EA Originals series to create titles with captivating co-op gameplay and memorable, emotional stories.
During The Game Awards 2024, the publisher announced its latest project. This new title, Split Fictionis moving in a more sci-fi/fantasy direction and is slated for release in early 2025. After 2018 The way out and 2021 It takes twothis new project seeks to build on the gameplay of the developer's last game and create an even more definitive game.
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Hazelight Studios game lineup
The way out
The first Hazelight Studios project came in 2018 The way out. Although it was not Josef Fares' first game, this honor belongs to 2013 Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons – this was his first real foray into co-op mandatory play. The story revolves around two convicts named Vincent and Leo who work to break out of prison and evade the authorities, with an ending that serves as a big emotional punch.
There is no single player mode The way outso interested players will have to find a friend to play with. The game is somewhat asynchronous in its gameplay, in the sense that one player can control their character while the other watches a cutscene. It's a unique take on co-op adventure that features plenty of action-packed scenes to go along with the emotional storytelling.
It takes two
The next study project was the year 2021 It takes twowhich was a big tonal change of pace for Hazelight. Compared to The way outrougher design, It takes two it goes in a much more lively and colorful artistic direction. The writing continues to take many emotional turns as the story centers around Cody and May, a couple on the rocks who are turned into dolls and must work to repair their relationship for the sake of their young daughter Rose.
Where The way out focused on an action game, It takes two is a platform game that switches genres at will. Although primarily a platformer, the game also doubles as a third-person shooter, a rhythm game, and even a top-down RPG. All of this is done in an incredibly cohesive way and in service of the game as a whole, and its success was enough to win Hazelight Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021.
Where
The way out
mainly focused on action game,
It takes two
is a platform game that switches genres at will.
Split Fiction
Three years after said victory, Josef Fares and his team returned to The Game Awards 2024 to announce another project, Split Fiction. Another co-op adventure from Hazelight, this title centers around two young women named Mio and Zoe who write science fiction and fantasy stories. These two aspiring authors end up in their own stories after being trapped in machines that tried to rob them of their creativity, and must rely on each other to free themselves without losing their memories.
Split Fiction combines the action-adventure and platforming elements of the previous two games and builds on the genre-bending style. It takes two in the main way. At various points in the game, players can fly high in the sky on the backs of dragons through places of fire, swim in the sea as mermaids, and even run around as pigs that later become sausage. It's the latest step in Hazelight's creative journey and is sure to be one of the most exciting games of 2025 when it launches on March 6th.
The cooperative spirits are back and pushing the creative limits with their new action buddy adventure Split Fiction. From the studio behind the 2021 Game of the Year winner It Takes Two, venture into a world that straddles science fiction and fantasy to overcome different and unexpected gameplay challenges together with a friend. Split Fiction's wide variety of ever-changing mechanics will keep you on the edge of your couch with surprising moments. Find out what happens when two radically different worlds collide in this serendipitous story of friendship.
Story
Mio and Zoe are contrasting writers who are stuck in their own stories after being attached to a machine designed to steal their creative ideas. To escape with their minds intact, they will have to overcome their differences to disrupt the system that holds them together, uncovering the secrets and personal struggles hidden within their own fiction.
Key features
● True Co-Op Adventure – Split Fiction is a tailor-made adventure for two. As Mio and Zoe, you'll experience split-screen co-op gameplay where you must coordinate your actions and timing, as well as work together to overcome challenges through unique fictional worlds such as lush fantasy environments and sci-fi panoramas. This wild ride comes to you from Hazelight, the cooperative thriller creators who brought you It Takes Two and A Way Out.
● Unparalleled variety – Discover new mechanics and abilities in each level of your adventure, which will alternate between sci-fi and fantasy settings. Escape the sun as it crashes like a supernova, challenge a monkey to a dance battle, try cool tricks on a hoverboard, fight an evil kitty and ride everything from gravity bikes to a sand shark. Experience worlds that are completely different from each other, unexpected new abilities and a variety of games that include platformers, puzzles and more. Surprises await you and your partner around every corner.
● The Power of Friendship – Mio and Zoe don't understand each other at first, but they soon become each other's only hope. This journey will throw unexpected twists at them, and they will have to cover each other's backs if they want to make it through. While traversing stories born from their own wild imaginations, they encounter both bizarre situations. And most importantly, they will face it all together.
● Sci-Fi and Fantasy Worlds – Venture into fantastical realms and discover idyllic villages and a mystical sanctuary filled with magical creatures in Zoe's world of fiction. Board the flying train and explore Mio's imaginary realm of futuristic space stations, intense battlefields and more. Engage in hidden “side stories” – vivid snapshots pulled from the depths of Mio and Zoes' minds that transcend Sci-Fi and Fantasy – where you can learn more about their past and the journeys Rader has taken them on.
● More Ways to Play Together – Friend's Pass – Hazelight's core feature that allows one player who owns the game to invite a friend to play for free – is back and crossplay enabled for PlayStation, Xbox and PC makes playing with friends even easier ( via Steam).
Action
Adventure
Science fiction
Imagination
- Released
- March 6, 2025
- Publishers
- Electronic Arts
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
