Summary
Hazelight Studioswill never put microtransactions in its games, according to the Swedish company’s founder and director, Josef Fares. This promise was shared as part of a recent interview that also saw Fares reflect on the possibility ofHazelight Studiosbeing sold, among other topics.
Founded in 2014, Hazelight has developed a reputation as the maker of some of the most compelling modern co-op games out there. It managed to do so with just two titles,A Way OutandIt Takes Two—released in 2018 and 2021, respectively. The Stockholm-based studio’s third game,Split Fiction, is scheduled to debut on July 04, 2025.
Ahead ofSplit Fiction’s release, Hazelight founder Josef Fares sat down with MinnMax’s Ben Hanson for a quick video interview focused on the studio’s past, present, and future. Roughly halfway into their talk, Fares proclaimed that Hazelight will never put microtransactions in its titles. The industry veteran then succinctly described the studio’s game design strategy as being of the “no bull****” variety.
Hazelight Studios ‘Is Not For Sale,’ Founder Says
Elsewhere during the interview, Fares discussed the recentgaming industry acquisition boom, acknowledging that there’s been some external interest in acquiring his company. Be that as it may, he himself has no interest in entertaining any offers. “Hazelight is not for sale,” Fares said bluntly, adding that the company will also never be on the stock market.
Split Fiction Could Have Been Called ‘Worlds Apart’
The interview also saw Fares reveal thatSplit Fictionwas originally code-named “Split.” While this might suggest the game’s name was set in stone from an early stage of development, that wasn’t the case—Hazelight also consideredWorlds Apartas a title. This moniker was ultimately abandoned for being too generic, Fares recalled. As for his newly voiced dislike for microtransactions, the sentiment echoes what the director said in a mid-February 2025 interview with Eurogamer, when he asserted that Hazelight will never make a live-service game. Fares’s opposition to non-traditional game business models is something he’s been quite vocal about for years now. Back in late 2021, he saidhe’d rather be “shot in the knee” than have Hazelight embrace NFTsin any capacity.
Hazelight Grew Since 2021
Another takeaway from the MinnMax interview was Fares providing an update on Hazelight’s headcount, stating it is currently “around 80.” The figure marks a 23% increase from 2021, when he estimated the studio had approximately 65 employees. As the technical demands of game development continue to grow, Hazelight’s headcount may follow suit—especially ifSplit Fictionapproaches the success ofIt Takes Twoor at leastA Way Out, which sold around 23 million and 9 million copies, respectively.
