Look, if you’ve been paying even the slightest bit of attention to the gaming landscape over the last few years, you already know that Josef Fares doesn’t just release games; he drops cultural statements. Whether he’s famously telling the Oscars exactly what he thinks of them on a live broadcast or fundamentally rewriting the rules of how we sit on a couch with our friends, the man is a literal force of nature. And honestly? We desperately need that kind of unfiltered energy right now. According to the latest dispatches from the Eurogamer.net feed, Fares has officially confirmed that Hazelight Studios is deep in the trenches of development on their next big title. If the early ripples are any indication of what’s coming, we should all probably buckle up for another wild, perspective-shifting ride.
The news didn’t come via some polished, corporate press release. Instead, it dropped in a move that was classic Fares: a grainy, high-energy photo posted to his personal Twitter (or X, if you’re still stubbornly calling it that in 2026) showing him right in the middle of a mocap studio. He’s right there in the thick of it, arm outstretched, playfully blocking three actors decked out in those iconic, ball-covered suits. The caption was short, punchy, and exactly what the community was dying to hear: “Next game in the making.” But for those of us who spent the better part of last year completely obsessed with Split Fiction, this isn’t just a simple status update. It’s a promise—a declaration that the co-op renaissance he sparked isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Living in the Shadow of a Two-Million-Copy Monster
It is genuinely impossible to talk about what’s coming next without first acknowledging the absolute juggernaut that was Split Fiction. When it launched last year to massive critical acclaim, it didn’t just meet the high expectations set by It Takes Two—it absolutely pulverized them. The game managed to move a staggering 2 million copies in its first week alone. To put that into some kind of perspective, the first million vanished off digital shelves in the first 48 hours. That’s not just “indie darling” territory anymore; those are the kind of numbers that make EA executives brag during their quarterly earnings calls. And believe me, they definitely bragged.
During a financial report late in 2025, EA highlighted Split Fiction as a primary cornerstone of their Q4 success, sitting comfortably right alongside a global titan like EA Sports FC 25. It’s a rare, almost unheard-of feat for a narrative-driven, mandatory co-op game to share the same stage as a multi-billion dollar football franchise, but that’s the specific brand of Hazelight magic we’ve come to expect. It turns out that people are actually hungry for real connection. According to a 2024 Statista report, over 60% of gamers globally play with others online or in person, and Hazelight has mastered that “shared experience” vibe better than almost anyone else in the industry today.
Katherine Castle over at Eurogamer really hit the nail on the head in her review, calling it “one of the most inventive and joyful co-op games to date.” She wasn’t exaggerating, either. The game was a total testament to pure imagination—a project that flat-out refused to let you play alone and rewarded you for every single second you spent communicating, laughing, or arguing with your partner on the PS5 or PC. Now, as we look toward the horizon, the big question is: how on earth do they top that?
“Fantastic from start to finish, Split Fiction is one of the most inventive and joyful co-op games to date, and a testament to the power of human imagination.”
Katherine Castle, Eurogamer Review
Wait… Are There Three of Them Now?
Let’s stop and obsess over that mocap photo for a second. If you look closely at the background, there are three actors standing behind Fares. Now, if you know Hazelight, you know they have traditionally been the undisputed kings of the duo. A Way Out was a gritty, two-man prison break that required perfect synchronization. It Takes Two was a colorful husband-and-wife therapy session cleverly disguised as a brilliant platformer. Even Split Fiction played intensely with the very idea of the screen being divided between two distinct people. So, what does a trio of actors mean? Are we looking at three-player co-op? Or maybe a central trio of characters where the narrative dynamic shifts depending on who’s leading?
It’s a fascinating potential pivot if they’re actually moving away from the strict “pair” dynamic that has defined their studio’s identity. Adding a third player changes the entire “meta” of co-op gaming. It’s no longer just a one-on-one conversation; it becomes a group dynamic with all the chaos that entails. It’s the difference between a quiet dinner date and a lively dinner party. Given that development reportedly kicked off in early 2025, the team has had plenty of time to iterate on these new mechanics. Fares has already mentioned he’s “super, super excited,” which, in Fares-speak, usually means he’s figured out a way to do something that probably shouldn’t even be possible in a modern game engine.
And let’s be real—the industry needs this kind of experimentation right now. A 2025 report from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) found that while live-service titles still dominate the charts in terms of raw revenue, player fatigue regarding “infinite loops” and battle passes is at an all-time high. Players are craving “finished” experiences—games that actually have a beginning, a middle, and a definitive, emotional end. Hazelight provides exactly that. They give us a tangible reason to invite a friend over, grab two (or maybe three?) controllers, and actually talk to each other instead of just grinding for skins.
Hidden in Plain Sight: The Clues We’ve Already Found
Here’s where things get really interesting for the lore hunters. If you were one of the hardcore players who managed to grind through and beat Split Fiction’s notoriously difficult secret level, you apparently already know more than the rest of us. Hazelight has a long, brilliant history of hiding their future intentions in plain sight. It’s a fantastic bit of community engagement—rewarding the most dedicated fans with a “first look” that isn’t a leaked trailer or a corporate teaser, but a genuine in-game discovery found through play.
I suspect this next project will lean even harder into the “genre-bending” that Fares clearly loves. We’ve seen them master shooters, platformers, flight sims, and even rhythm games all within the span of a single title. My personal theory? We’re looking at something that plays with the concept of “perspective” even more radically than Split Fiction did. Maybe those “three actors” suggest a story told from three different points in time simultaneously? Or perhaps three different emotional states that manifest in the world? Whatever it turns out to be, you can bet your last dollar it won’t be a generic roguelike or another bland, open-world map-clearing exercise. That’s just not in their DNA.
Is the new game a sequel to Split Fiction?
While the team at Hazelight hasn’t officially ruled anything out just yet, Josef Fares typically prefers the challenge of creating entirely new IPs from scratch. If you look at his track record—Brothers, A Way Out, It Takes Two, and Split Fiction—each has been a completely standalone story with its own unique world. It’s much more likely that this is a brand-new concept designed to surprise us all over again.
What platforms will it be on?
Based on their long-standing and successful history with the EA Originals program, we can pretty safely expect a release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Given the timing of the development cycle, a version for the Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever Nintendo eventually calls their successor) is also a very strong possibility, especially considering how well their previous games translated to handheld play.
When is the release date?
We know that active development started in early 2025. If we look at Hazelight’s typical three-to-four-year development cycle, we’re likely looking at a late 2027 or early 2028 release window. That said, Fares is known for his spontaneity, so a formal reveal trailer could happen much sooner than we expect—perhaps at a major summer showcase or the Game Awards.
Why We Still Need Fares’ Particular Brand of Chaos
There is something deeply, fundamentally human about the way Hazelight approaches game design. In an era where AI-generated content and procedurally generated worlds are quickly becoming the industry norm, Fares insists on hand-crafted, mocap-heavy, and emotionally resonant storytelling. His games are about the friction between people. They’re about that inevitable “nerf” to your ego when you realize you literally cannot solve a puzzle without your partner’s help. It’s about the genuine joy of a shared victory that you achieved together on the same screen.
And let’s be totally honest here: we need more “Friend’s Pass” systems in this industry. One of the biggest reasons for Hazelight’s massive success is their incredibly consumer-friendly approach to multiplayer. The idea that you only need to buy one copy so two people can play together? That’s legendary. It’s the kind of move that builds a lifetime of brand loyalty because it tells the player, “We care more about you actually playing and finishing our game than we do about squeezing an extra $70 out of your best friend.” In 2026, that feels like a revolutionary act.
As we sit back and wait for more crumbs of information to drop from the mocap studio, one thing remains certain: the gaming industry is a much better, more interesting place with Josef Fares in it. He’s the chaotic good we need to balance out the corporate polish. Whether the next game involves three players, a brand-new “meta” for digital storytelling, or just another heart-wrenching ending that leaves us staring at the credits in stunned silence, I am absolutely here for it. Hazelight has earned our trust, one split-screen adventure at a time.
So, keep a very close eye on those secret levels if you’re still playing through their back catalog. Keep an eye on the mocap suits in Fares’ social media posts. And most importantly, keep your controllers charged and your Player Two (or Three?) on standby. The next great co-op adventure is officially on the way, and if history is any indication, it’s going to be something we’ll be talking about for years to come.
This article is sourced from various news outlets. Analysis and presentation represent our editorial perspective.
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