Hazelight Studios doesn't do boring. They just don't. From the prison-breaking intensity of A Way Out to the literal Game of the Year magic of It Takes Two, Josef Fares and his team have carved out a niche that nobody else is even trying to touch. So, when the term split fiction hazelight studios started circulating alongside new trademark filings, the internet basically had a collective meltdown. We’re talking about a studio that fundamentally believes gaming is better when you’re sitting on a couch with a friend, yelling at the screen. If you've played their previous hits, you know they don't just use split-screen as a feature; they use it as a narrative device.
The buzz started building late in 2024 and has carried heavily into 2026. Hazelight teased a new IP. Not a sequel. Something fresh. Something "S.F." While everyone was guessing "Space Fiction" or "Super Fun," the trademark "Split Fiction" emerged as the frontrunner for what this project actually is. It’s a title that feels almost too on-the-nose for a studio that perfected the "split" perspective. Honestly, if it’s not the title, it’s definitely the core philosophy.
What is Split Fiction Hazelight Studios actually building?
We have to look at the breadcrumbs. Josef Fares, the charismatic and famously unfiltered creative director, posted a photo of some blurred-out scripts and a few "S" and "F" letters on a page. It’s cryptic. But it’s also a promise.
If split fiction hazelight studios follows the trajectory of their past work, we aren't just looking at another co-op game. We're looking at a game where the story itself is divided. Imagine a narrative where what I see on my half of the screen is fundamentally different from what you see on yours. Not just a different angle. A different reality.
Think about it. In It Takes Two, Cody and May had different abilities, but they shared the same world. In A Way Out, Leo and Vincent had different backstories, but they were in the same timeline. "Split Fiction" suggests something more radical. Maybe one player is in the past and the other is in the future? Or maybe one is seeing the "real" world while the other sees a psychological manifestation?
The technical challenge here is massive. Syncing two different narrative "fictions" into one cohesive gameplay loop is something very few studios would even attempt. But Hazelight has the pedigree. They have the "No Single Player" badge of honor.
The Evolution of the Split-Screen Philosophy
Most developers abandoned split-screen years ago. They said it was too hard on the hardware. They said players wanted to play online, alone, in their own rooms. Hazelight basically said "hold my beer" and proved that couch co-op isn't just a nostalgic relic; it’s a goldmine for emotional storytelling.
A Way Out was the experiment. It was rough around the edges, sure, but it proved you could force two players to stay in sync for a cinematic experience. Then It Takes Two came along and blew the doors off the industry. It sold over 20 million copies. That’s insane for a game you literally cannot play by yourself.
When we talk about split fiction hazelight studios, we’re talking about the third act in this evolution. The "fiction" part of the name is the giveaway. It implies that the narrative is the thing being split, not just the monitor.
Why the "S.F." Tease Matters
- The Mystery Factor: Fares loves to troll. He loves the hype. By dropping "S" and "F," he knew people would dig through trademark databases.
- A Departure from Sequels: A lot of fans wanted It Takes Two 2. But Hazelight seems allergic to repeating themselves. They want to reinvent how we interact with another person through a controller.
- The 10th Anniversary: 2024 marked 10 years of Hazelight. What better way to celebrate than by announcing a project that takes their core identity—the split screen—and turns it into a genre?
How Split Fiction Could Change Co-op Gaming
Let’s get nerdy for a second. Most co-op games are "parallel play." You and I are in a level, shooting the same bad guys. If I quit, a bot takes over.
Split fiction hazelight studios is likely moving toward "interdependent play."
Imagine a scene where you are interrogating a witness in 1940, and I am searching for the same witness's grave in 2026. My actions in the "future" half of the screen might depend on the clues you find in the "past" half. You move a vase in the past; it shatters in my world in the future. That’s not just a game. That’s a synchronized performance.
There is also a lot of speculation about the "Split" referring to a dynamic screen. We saw a bit of this in A Way Out, where the divider would move, grow, or shrink depending on who had the more important task at the moment. "Split Fiction" could mean the screen itself is a character. It could split into three, four, or diagonal shards to represent a fractured mind or a crumbling reality.
The EA Originals Partnership
It is almost certain that Electronic Arts will publish this under the EA Originals label. This partnership has been one of the most successful "indie-plus" collaborations in history. EA gives Hazelight the budget of a mid-sized blockbuster but leaves the creative control entirely to Fares.
This is crucial because a concept like "Split Fiction" would never survive a traditional corporate focus group. A suit would look at a game you can't play alone and say, "We’re cutting our potential market in half!" Fares doesn't care. He knows that by cutting the market in half, he makes the experience twice as powerful for the people who do play it.
The "S.F." project is rumored to be further along than people think. With a 2024 tease, a 2025 deep dive, and a likely 2026 release window, the timing for split fiction hazelight studios to dominate the conversation is perfect. The industry is currently starving for original IPs that don't involve battle passes or 100-hour open worlds filled with fetch quests.
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What You Should Do Now
If you are a fan of Hazelight or just someone who misses playing games with a partner on the couch, there are a few things to keep an eye on.
First, go back and finish A Way Out if you haven't. It’s short, and it lays the groundwork for the camera tricks they’ll likely use in the new game. Second, watch the 10th-anniversary retrospective videos Hazelight has been putting out. They often hide tiny visual cues about their future projects in the background of office shots.
Actionable Steps for the "S.F." Hype:
- Check the Trademark Office: Look for "Split Fiction" filings in the EUIPO and USPTO. These usually update before official trailers.
- Follow the "S.F." Hashtag: On X (Twitter) and Reddit, the "S.F." and split fiction hazelight studios threads are where the frame-by-frame analysis of teasers happens.
- Prep Your Co-op Partner: This isn't a game you’ll want to play with a random stranger online. Start thinking about who you want to experience a potentially reality-bending story with.
The gaming world is full of sequels and safe bets. Hazelight is the opposite of a safe bet. They are a loud, chaotic, and brilliant studio that refuses to let the "split-screen" dream die. Whether "Split Fiction" is the final name or just a internal codename for a new way of telling stories, it’s going to be the game everyone is talking about when it finally drops. Get ready to share your screen again. It’s going to get weird.