Fiction Streamers Win Hazelight Studios Trip for Completing Secret Stage

Split Fiction streamers have unlocked a thrilling opportunity by conquering the game's challenging secret stage, "Laser Hell," earning them an exclusive trip to Hazelight Studios. Dive into the details of this remarkable achievement and discover what's next for the studio following the game's resounding success.

Split Fiction Continues With More Surprises

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

Split Fiction, launched to acclaim last month, continues to delight players with hidden gems like the "Laser Hell" stage. This notoriously tough challenge was recently completed by Chinese streamers sharkOvO and E1uM4y, who showcased their triumph on BiliBili. To unlock this stage, players must enter a precise sequence on the elevator switches within the Isolation level, leading to a laser-filled platform challenge.

Upon completing the stage, the duo unlocked a special video message from Hazelight Founder Josef Fares. In it, Fares commended their skill, noting that even many of the game's developers struggled with the level. He then extended an invitation to visit Hazelight Studios in Sweden for an early sneak peek at their next project. Fares later confirmed this 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 ongoing relationship with publisher EA and hinted at the studio's next venture. Fares expressed that Split Fiction, while special, is behind him as he eagerly shifts focus to new projects. "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."

Although Fares kept details about the new project under wraps, he mentioned that development began about a month ago. "There is a reason why I can’t talk about the next game; it’s because it’s quite early," he explained. "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. Very excited, and we started working on this a month ago-ish."

Regarding their partnership 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 emphasized EA's supportive role, despite the publisher's mixed reputation, 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 contrasts with 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!