Split Fiction Is Poised to Be a Massive Hit in 2025

In 2025, we will see many video games from AAA studios making their way to gamers everywhere. While some have been announced more recently like Ghost of Yotei, The Outer Worlds 2, and Mafia: The Old Country, many have been highly-anticipated for years such as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Borderlands 4, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and Grand Theft Auto 6. The past few years have brought some great games to the forefront, but there hasn’t been a year like this one in a while. The competition this year is a tough one indeed, but, there is one title that stands out among the crowd of these action-adventure titles: Hazelight Studio’s Split Fiction.

Split Fiction follows Zoe and Mio, two authors who both become trapped inside their own stories. The two must work together to escape their stories and bond with each other to survive. Hazelight has been bringing dynamic relationships to life in their titles, with A Way Out and It Takes Two focused on family relationships. Still, the upcoming sci-fi/fantasy game is about two strangers. Fares has noted that his projects have a connection to his own life, which can be seen by the leading ladies’ names, which are named after his daughters.

Here’s something that might sound a bit controversial with this year’s heavy hitters… they’re all a part of a popular gaming series. They have already established themselves to be top-tier titles long before they hit the shelves. With this, original stories, such as the one in Split Fiction, are arguably a more valuable asset to the gaming industry. What better company to put out an original story than director Josef Fares and his team at Hazelight Studios?

RELATED: It Takes Two Creator Reveals Split Fiction

Since the start of the studio in 2014, Hazelight has been crafting cooperative multiplayer games, which is a rarity to come across. There aren’t many studios that have kept to the script when it comes to creating titles for a specific niche quite like Hazelight, as they brought games such as A Way Out and It Takes Two. Some might wonder if couch co-op games are popular titles, but if you take a look at the numbers, you might be surprised.

A Way Out was met with positive reviews upon release and sold one million copies within two weeks and sold over nine million units by June 2024. Fast forward to 2021, Hazelight released It Takes Two, which was met with critical acclaim, won two Game of the Year Awards, and sold over 20 million units by October 2024. Hazelight is always pushing the limit when it comes to creating new experiences for players to enjoy, which is why Split Fiction will be another massive success for the studio.

When it comes to differentiating itself from the upcoming AAA titles, innovation comes to mind. It Takes Two pushed the boundaries of what was possible in a cooperative game, as the gameplay mechanics would change according to the narrative. With Split Fiction, the title looks to up its game by taking on two different genres and interweaving them together. Hazelight doesn’t hold back when crafting unique stories, as the upcoming game will feature bizarre puzzles that include turning into pigs… which I don’t believe has been done before.

As with any multiplayer game, it takes two to tango. Hazelight will bring back its “Friend’s Pass” system, which lets the owner of the game invite a friend to play together for free. Multiplayer games are a lot of fun, especially alongside family and friends. Split Fiction will support cross-platform play at launch, a common practice among recent multiplayer games like Marvel Rivals. Being able to play a game with someone else, whether it’s online or in-person, is a great bonding experience that has been captured before by Hazelight Studios.

For people like myself who grew up playing co-op games with family and friends, there is something genuine about the experience. I got that same feeling when I played It Takes Two in 2021, and hope to get that nostalgic feel when Split Fiction comes in March. Sadly, these types of games aren’t made much anymore, so seeing Hazelight Studios pioneering the movement is amazing to witness. The love for these games is there, no doubt about it, and it’s even better that the projects are made with passion and dedication.

If the previews for Split Fiction have given any indication as to how the title will fare with critics and fans, we might be looking at another It Takes Two moment. This year is bringing the big guns to the players, but luckily for Hazelight Studios, they know how to duel-wield.

Split Fiction launches on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on March 6, 2025.