Fiction Streamers Win Hazelight Studios Trip After Secret Stage Victory

Split Fiction streamers have unlocked an exciting opportunity by conquering the game's secret "Laser Hell" stage, earning themselves a trip to Hazelight Studios. Dive into the details of this challenging feat and discover what's next for the studio following the game's triumphant launch.

Split Fiction Continues With More Surprises

First Players to Finish "Laser Hell" Challenge Earn a Trip to Hazelight Studios

Following its successful launch last month, Split Fiction continues to captivate players with hidden gems like the "Laser Hell" stage. This notoriously tough challenge was recently conquered by Chinese streamers sharkOvO and E1uM4y, who shared their triumph on BiliBili. To access this stage, players must input a specific sequence on the elevator switches in the Isolation level, leading them to a laser-filled platform.

Their success was met with a congratulatory video from Hazelight's founder, Josef Fares, who revealed that even most of the studio's developers struggled with the level. Fares extended an invitation to the duo to visit Hazelight Studios in Sweden, a promise he reaffirmed on Twitter (X) on March 19, saying, "Congrats to 'sharkOvO' and 'E1uM4y' for finishing the secret challenge 'Laser Hell' in #splitfiction. VERY impressive! I will keep my promise and invite you both to Sweden for an early look at our next game. We'll be in touch!"

Hazelight Studios Working On Its Next Game

In a recent interview on The Friends Per Second podcast on March 17, Josef Fares discussed Hazelight's relationship with publisher EA and hinted at the studio's next project. Fares expressed that Split Fiction felt uniquely special among his previous works, stating, "For me, personally, every time a game is out, I’m kind of done with it. I’m kind of like, ‘OK, here’s the next thing.’ This has been a bit extra special. I would say that it’s been the best-received game we have done, but to be honest, everybody is super happy, but I’m so fully-focused and excited on the next thing that we already have started."

While Fares kept details about the new project under wraps, he mentioned that the studio began working on it about a month ago. He emphasized the studio's quick turnaround, saying, "You do know, at Hazelight, we don’t work on [a] game more than three or four years. Three or four years is not so far away. Then we’re going to talk more about it. It’s way too early, but just know this: we are very, very, very, very excited here."

Regarding their relationship with EA, Fares clarified, "Here’s the thing, people don’t understand this: EA is a supporter. We don’t pitch games to them. We say, ‘We’re going to do this.’ That’s it. They have zero, and I mean zero, thing to say about what we’re doing next." He praised EA's support, noting that despite the publisher's mixed reputation, Hazelight enjoys a respectful and autonomous partnership, stating, "Maybe they’re f***ing up with other developers. With us, no. They respect us. They respect what we do. I’m very clear with them that they cannot interfere with what we do. Now, we have become one of their most successful studios."

First Update and Hitting 2 Million Sales in 1 Week

On March 17, Split Fiction received its first update, addressing community-identified issues such as in-game mechanics, online play glitches, and localization across all languages. Additionally, the game achieved a significant milestone by selling over 2 million copies within just one week of its release. This impressive figure outpaces Hazelight's previous hit, It Takes Two, which sold 1 million copies a few weeks post-launch and reached 20 million by October 2024.

Split Fiction is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news on the game by checking out our article below!