Josef Fares, founder of Hazelight Studios and creator of the cooperative adventure Split Fiction, recently addressed fans to clarify previous comments and respond to critiques of his work. When accused of proclaiming the demise of single-player games in past interviews, Fares firmly denied ever making such statements. He noted that Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (2013), one of Hazelight's most acclaimed projects, was entirely single-player.
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Fares elaborated that while Hazelight specializes in cooperative experiences, developing a single-player title aligned with their signature style remains plausible. "We're keeping that option open," he affirmed, underscoring the studio's willingness to experiment with different gaming formats.
The director also addressed critiques about Split Fiction featuring dual female leads, with some speculating whether this decision carried feminist motivations. Fares countered by highlighting Hazelight's history of diverse character pairings—brothers in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, male convicts in A Way Out, and a husband-wife team in It Takes Two. Despite this precedent, Split Fiction's all-female protagonists generated unexpected debate.
He revealed the characters were modeled after his daughters, stressing that narrative depth and personality always trump biological attributes in his creative process. "Gender is irrelevant—what matters is writing compelling characters," Fares asserted.
Launched today on March 6th, Split Fiction has earned glowing reviews for its inventive gameplay and dynamic scenarios. Hazelight shared system specifications beforehand, allowing players to prepare for optimal performance in their newest innovative title.
