It is rare for a game to fundamentally change how people view couch co-op, but Hazelight Studios managed it. It Takes Two didn't just win Game of the Year; it became a cultural touchstone for couples and best friends everywhere. Ever since Cody and May fixed their marriage through a series of increasingly bizarre platforming challenges involving vacuum cleaners and space baboons, the internet has been screaming for an It Takes Two sequel.
But here is the thing.
Hazelight isn't a studio that likes to repeat itself. Josef Fares, the charismatic and outspoken director behind the game, has built a career on doing the unexpected. If you're waiting for a direct continuation of the story where we see Rose growing up or the Book of Love causing more chaos in a new household, you might be waiting for a very long time. Honestly, it might never happen.
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The Reality of Hazelight's Creative Philosophy
Hazelight is weird. I mean that in the best way possible. They are one of the few studios left that refuses to build a franchise just because the first entry made a mountain of cash. When you look at the trajectory from A Way Out to It Takes Two, the jump in mechanics and tone was massive. They went from a gritty prison break drama to a psychedelic rom-com platformer.
Fares has gone on record multiple times saying that he prefers to push the boundaries of what co-op can be rather than just iterating on a successful formula. During various interviews and industry events, including his famous appearances at The Game Awards, he’s emphasized that the "surprise" is the most important element of their games. If they made an It Takes Two sequel that just added ten new levels and a few more mechanics, that surprise would be gone.
The studio is currently working on a new IP. We know it's co-op. We know it's published by EA Originals. But is it a sequel? Almost certainly not. They’ve teased that it’s something "completely different." That’s the Hazelight brand. They want to make you play something you didn't even know you wanted to play.
Why a Direct Sequel Might Not Work
Let's be real about the narrative. It Takes Two was about a specific conflict: a divorce. The emotional arc was tied directly to the gameplay. Every mechanic, from the magnets to the time-warping, mirrored the psychological state of Cody and May. By the time the credits roll, the conflict is resolved.
- The Book of Love (Dr. Hakim) succeeded.
- The daughter, Rose, is happy again.
- The magic dolls are back to being just dolls.
Where do you go from there? If you force a new conflict on the same characters, it feels cheap. It cheapens the growth they experienced in the first game. You could introduce a new couple, sure. But then you’re basically making a spiritual successor rather than a true It Takes Two sequel.
There’s also the issue of the "Fares Guarantee." Josef Fares famously offered $1,000 to anyone who honestly got bored playing his game. To keep that promise, he needs constant mechanical variety. It Takes Two already threw every possible genre at the wall—third-person shooting, racing, dungeon crawling, rhythm games, and flight sims. Finding a whole new set of "never-before-seen" co-op mechanics for a direct follow-up is a monumental task that most developers would find exhausting.
What We Know About Hazelight's Next Project
While we haven't seen a trailer yet, the studio has been dropping breadcrumbs. In late 2024 and early 2025, Hazelight shared some behind-the-scenes photos on social media. One showed Fares in a motion capture suit with two actors. The vibe was significantly different.
The rumors in the industry—specifically from insiders who have tracked EA's publishing schedule—suggest that the next game will be more "ambitious" in scale. This doesn't mean it’s an open world. Hazelight hates open worlds. They think they're full of "bloat." Instead, expect a highly curated, linear experience that perhaps leans into a more mature or darker theme, similar to A Way Out but with the mechanical polish of their more recent work.
People keep searching for an It Takes Two sequel because they want that feeling again. That feeling of working together perfectly with a partner. But Hazelight knows that the feeling comes from the co-op requirement, not necessarily the characters of Cody and May.
The Commercial Pressure vs. Creative Freedom
You have to remember that It Takes Two sold over 20 million copies. In the world of AAA gaming, that usually means a sequel is mandatory. Electronic Arts loves money. Investors love sequels.
However, Hazelight is in a unique position. Because of the massive success of their last title, they have the leverage to say "no." They have the "Creative Independence" badge that few studios ever earn. This is why the It Takes Two sequel remains a ghost in the machine. The studio has the funding to do whatever they want, and what they want is to innovate.
It’s also worth noting the impact of the It Takes Two movie and TV deals. Amazon Studios is currently developing a film adaptation with Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions. Usually, a movie deal sparks interest in a game sequel to create a "synergistic" release. But even then, the game developers seem more focused on their next original idea.
Spiritual Successors Are the New Sequels
If you are looking for more co-op goodness, you should probably stop looking for a title with a "2" at the end of it. The industry has seen a massive influx of "Hazelight-likes."
Games like Bread & Fred, Blanc, and Biped have tried to capture that specific magic. None have quite reached the same level of production value, but they fill the void. The "It Takes Two" keyword has become a genre descriptor rather than just a game title. When gamers ask for an It Takes Two sequel, they are actually asking for a high-budget, narrative-driven co-op game that doesn't involve shooting endless waves of zombies.
The Technical Leap Forward
Whatever Hazelight is cooking up, it’s being built for current-gen hardware from the ground up. It Takes Two was a cross-gen title. It had to run on the base PS4 and Xbox One.
Imagine what that team can do with the processing power of the PS5 Pro or the latest PC hardware. We are talking about seamless transitions between entirely different worlds without a single loading screen. We're talking about physics-based puzzles that weren't possible three years ago. If they were to make an It Takes Two sequel, the technical jump would be staggering, but they seem more interested in applying that tech to a fresh story.
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I've talked to several developers at indie studios who view Hazelight as the "North Star" for co-op design. The consensus is that a sequel would actually be a step backward for the studio's reputation. They are the "unpredictable" studio. The moment they become predictable by making a standard sequel, they lose their edge.
Final Verdict on the Sequel Rumors
Is there an It Takes Two sequel in active development? No. All evidence points to a brand-new IP that will likely be revealed later this year or in early 2027.
Will Cody and May ever return? It’s possible in a cameo or a small spin-off, but a full-blown sequel isn't on the roadmap. The "Book of Love" might have more stories to tell, but Hazelight wants to tell new stories with new mechanics.
If you're craving that co-op itch, don't wait for a sequel announcement that isn't coming. Instead, keep an eye on Hazelight's social media for their "New Project" reveals. It won't be called It Takes Two 2, but it will undoubtedly be the game that everyone is talking about for the next three years.
Next Steps for Co-op Fans
- Check out A Way Out: If you haven't played Hazelight's previous game, do it now. It’s darker, grittier, and shows where their mechanical DNA comes from.
- Follow Josef Fares on X (Twitter): He is the primary source for any real news. If something is happening, he'll be the one to shout it from the rooftops.
- Watch the Movie Development: Keep an eye on the Amazon Studios production. Often, game news is timed around film trailers to maximize hype.
- Explore the Indie Scene: Look for games tagged with "Mandatory Co-op" on Steam. The genre is exploding, and while nothing is quite It Takes Two, there are some gems like The Past Within that offer unique 2-player experiences.