Gab Hernandez 
Recent leaks have uncovered Hazelight Studio’s next big project after It Takes Two, and it looks to be another exciting co-op game titled Split Fiction.
Despite its small library, Hazelight succeeded massively with its two innovative releases. When filmmaker Josef Fares split from Starbreeze Studios of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons fame, he founded Hazelight Studios with a laser-focused goal on the cooperative experience.
A Way Out found significant success, but It Takes Two’s stellar sales catapulted the company to record heights. With over 20 million units sold for It Takes Two as of October 2024, it’s clear that Hazelight has found a successful niche for itself. Now, leakers have potentially revealed the next game from the beloved co-op game studio.
Hazelight Studios teases its newest project, which is reportedly named Split Fiction
Hazelight Studios shared an image of a “New IP,” which is reportedly set to be titled “Split Fiction.”
In October 2024, Fares teased fans with a brand new IP, redacting the name as “S**** ******N.” Faras also teased an announcement “soon.” Hazelight Studios corroborated Faras’ post with a teaser image for the upcoming co-op game.
Dealabs Magazine’s billbil-kun claims the title is “Split Fiction.” The upcoming game has reportedly been in development for two years. Hazelight’s latest release was the Nintendo Switch port of It Takes Two in November 2022. However, third-party studio Turn Me Up Games handled that particular port.
The teaser image also had a post-it note, which fans believe refers to a dynamic split screen that changes mid-play. Despite previous reports, EA Games would only handle two Hazelight titles, the company will still publish Split Fiction. Given the success of both titles for EA, most fans were unsurprised.
Hazelight showcases how creativity still finds success
In an era rife with live service titles and open-world sandboxes, Hazelight Studios creates innovative co-op games and still finds success.
It’s rare for a company to put out games that satisfy those who want something new from games while still appealing to a casual crowd. Whatever Split Fiction may be, fans eagerly anticipate its announcement, likely at a big gaming show like The Game Awards.
While co-op games have experienced a renaissance in some ways, AAA experiences are still rare. Many of the biggest co-op games have instead been breakout indie games like Lethal Company and Content Warning, which stand out on their quirkiness rather than their quality. Games like It Takes Two and A Way Out show that there’s still significant interest in a fancier take on the genre.
