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Josef Fares Defends EA, Vows Hazelight Will Stay Private, and Calls for AA–AAA Balance

The Split Fiction director says commercial wins let the studio choose creative-first policies without chasing a stock price.

Overview

  • Fares says EA gets more criticism than it deserves and that Hazelight enjoys hands-off support from the publisher.
  • Split Fiction, released in March 2025, sold millions within weeks, strengthening Hazelight’s position after earlier hits like It Takes Two.
  • He says Hazelight will never go public, citing the Friends Pass as an example of a player-friendly choice that also proved good business.
  • Warning against a rush to mid-budget strategies, Fares argues AAA can still take risks and cites Rockstar, Naughty Dog, and Nintendo.
  • He distinguishes useful development AI from generative AI and expresses confidence the next Hazelight game will surpass Split Fiction.