Through his studio, Fares has worked closely with EA on all three of their major titles. These include the hit games A Way Out, It Takes Two, and their latest release, Split Fiction. Despite the partnership, Fares noted that if the relationship with EA were poor, Hazelight would simply stop working with them.
In a recent interview, Fares emphasized that there are many talented and passionate people working at EA. He explained that the publisher understands Hazelight’s unique development process and respects it. “They leave us be,” Fares said, highlighting the creative freedom his studio enjoys under EA’s publishing.
Fares pointed out that no publisher is perfect. He mentioned that companies like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony have all made mistakes at some point. However, he feels EA is often singled out as the villain for reasons he doesn’t fully understand.
For Hazelight specifically, the collaboration has been super positive. Fares was very open about this, stating that if things were bad, he would have said so in the interview. He confirmed that the relationship between the two companies is great and built on mutual respect.
He reiterated that this doesn’t mean EA hasn’t made its own share of mistakes. Like everyone else, they have had their slip-ups. Fares mentioned that the people he interacts with at EA are genuine gamers who love video games. It isn’t a corporate environment filled with people in suits who don’t understand the medium.
Looking to the future, Fares made it clear that Hazelight will always maintain its independence. He stated firmly that people should not worry, as his studio will always do what it wants creatively.
Despite Fares’ defense, EA has faced significant backlash recently. This stems from a major business deal approved by shareholders at the end of last year. A group of investors, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Donald Trump’s son-in-law, proposed a massive $55 billion acquisition of the company.
If this acquisition goes through, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund would own 93.4 percent of EA. This has caused concern among many due to the country’s controversial human rights record. The situation has led to public outcry and formal petitions from video game unions and human rights organizations.
Over the weekend, EA addressed the concerns within their community. They assured players that “the values of The Sims are unchanged.” This statement came after several high-profile content creators for The Sims removed themselves from the company’s Creator Network in protest.
Meanwhile, Hazelight’s latest game, Split Fiction, has been a massive success. Upon its debut last year, the game received widespread praise. Critics and players alike described it as inventive, joyful, and a testament to the power of human imagination.
The sales figures for Split Fiction were impressive right from the start. In the first 48 hours of release, the game sold 1 million units. The momentum continued, with the studio announcing another 1 million units sold by the end of the first week.
The game didn’t just sell well; it also made history. Split Fiction broke three world records. It became the most played local co-op game on Steam, the most sold local co-op game within 48 hours of release, and the most sold local co-op game within one week of release.
Success for Split Fiction is extending beyond just video games. A film adaptation of the game was announced last year. It will star Sydney Sweeney and be directed by Jon M. Chu, who is famous for directing the movie Wicked.
