Split Fiction’s Josef Fares: “I would not be able to live without AAA titles”

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
Hazelight Studios has achieved significant commercial success with its co-op-only titles, selling 12 million units of 'A Way Out' (2018), 27 million units of 'It Takes Two' (2021), and 4 million units of 'Split Fiction' within its first two months of release.
02
Josef Fares explicitly rejects taking Hazelight public, arguing that the pressure to satisfy stock market financial expectations forces studios to make poor creative decisions.
03
Fares advocates for a balanced industry ecosystem, warning publishers against abandoning AAA development in favor of a singular focus on AA titles despite the recent success of games like 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33'.
04
Hazelight maintains a 'Friends Pass' business model that allows two players to play online with a single copy of the game, a decision Fares describes as a creative choice that subsequently proved to be a sound business strategy.
05
Hazelight operates with a team of approximately 80 employees and maintains a development philosophy of 'fucking shit up' to encourage innovation, while balancing creative risk-taking with the responsibility to deliver high-quality milestones.
06
Fares remains skeptical of generative AI's immediate impact, noting that the progress of tools like Midjourney has plateaued over the last five years and that human vision remains essential to game development.

Summary

Hazelight Studios director Josef Fares emphasizes the necessity of maintaining a diverse gaming landscape, arguing that the industry requires both high-budget AAA blockbusters and smaller-scale titles. While acknowledging the recent commercial success of AA games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Fares warns against publishers chasing trends by pivoting exclusively toward that segment. He maintains that AAA development remains a vital pillar of the industry, capable of fostering significant innovation when managed correctly, despite the inherent financial pressures of large-scale budgets.

The studio’s development philosophy centers on prioritizing creative vision over data-driven market analysis. This approach has yielded substantial commercial results, with A Way Out selling 12 million units, It Takes Two reaching 27 million, and the recent Split Fiction achieving four million sales within its first two months. Fares attributes this success to a commitment to co-op-only gameplay and a refusal to take the studio public, which he believes would force the company to prioritize short-term financial gains over creative integrity.

Regarding the broader industry, Fares expresses cautious optimism. He views generative AI as a tool that may assist in realizing creative visions but remains skeptical of its ability to replace human ingenuity or fundamentally alter the creative process. Hazelight continues to operate with a team of approximately 80 employees, focusing on its next project with the goal of pushing boundaries through a "fuck shit up" mentality that encourages developers to move beyond self-imposed limitations. The studio maintains a collaborative, stable partnership with Electronic Arts, which Fares credits for respecting the studio's creative autonomy.