| Split Fiction | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Hazelight Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Director(s) | Josef Fares |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | March 6, 2025 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure, platform |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Split Fiction is an upcoming action-adventure video game developed by Hazelight Studios and published by Electronic Arts. As a cooperative multiplayer-only game, Split Fiction is set to be released for Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S in March 2025.
As with Hazelight's previous game, It Takes Two , Split Fiction was specifically designed for split screen cooperative multiplayer, which means that it must be played with another player through either local or online play. In the game, players assume control of either Zoe or Mio, two authors who both become trapped inside their own stories. The two strangers must work together to escape and overcome numerous challenges along the way, as Mio's science fiction story interweaves with Zoe's fantasy story, putting both characters in grave dangers. [1] The game is an action-adventure video game played from a third-person perspective, requiring players to complete platforming challenges and occasionally combating against hostile enemies. [2] Each stage is often accompanied with a unique but one-off gameplay mechanic. For instance, the two may be commanding dragons in one stage, while wielding a laser sword in another stage. The ability for both characters within each stage is also different, meaning that the two must collaborate with each other and utilize the respective abilities of their playable characters in order to progress. [3] There are also side stories in each stage, with each also featuring an accompanying gameplay mechanic. [4]
Development of the game started following the release of It Takes Two (2021). A team of 80 people built the game using Unreal Engine 5. The two characters are named after Fares' two daughters, and Fares compared the game's narrative to that of a "buddy movie" as the two characters started as complete strangers who must slowly bond with each other in order to survive. [5] Fares wrote that one of the biggest challenges developing a game with diverse gameplay mechanics was to ensure that each mechanic was fully polished. While a gameplay sequence utilizing a certain gameplay mechanic may only last for several minutes, the team had to work on them for months to ensure its controls were sufficiently intuitive. [6]
Split Fiction was announced by Hazelight Studios and its game director Josef Fares at The Game Awards 2024. The game is currently set to be released for Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S on March 6, 2025. [7] As with Hazelight's previous games, it will utilize a "Friend’s Pass" system, in which owner of the game can invite a friend to play together for free. It will also support cross-platform play at launch. As with Hazelight's previous games, Split Fiction will be published under Electronic Arts' EA Originals label. [8]
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