The Game Awards 2024 recently unveiled Hazelight Studios' newestIt Takes Two-inspired game,Split Fiction. Set for release on July 28, 2025, the game will feature cross-platform multiplayer for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. As the Game of the Yearwinner of the 2021 Game Awards, the follow-up is already garnering high expectations.
Over the years, Hazelight Studio has become known for continually pushing the boundaries of creative and emotionally charged co-op games. As a pioneer in the split-screen co-op genre,Split Fictionis leading the charge forIt Take Two-like games. It also marks the dawn of a familiar yet fresh era for fans ofOvercooked,which is also receiving a new creepy-but-cute co-op adventure next year.
Split Screen Co-Op Games Shine at The Game Awards 2024
Split Fiction Brings a Fresh Perspective to a Growing Genre
Thereveal ofSplit Fictionat 2024’s The Game Awardswas a welcome surprise, mainly due to its enticing approach of blending sci-fi and fantasy. According to Josef Fares, Director of Hazelight Studios,Split Fictionfollows the story of an unlikely duo, Mio and Zoe, named after his daughters. Despite their differences, the aspiring writers must work together to survive and return to reality after being trapped in a simulation by the menacing tech company Rader Publishing.
Captivating premise aside,Split Fiction’s gameplay previewspromise to continue the Friend’s Pass tradition, wherein only one player needs to purchase a copy of the game for both to play. Moreover, fans can expect the forthcoming game to be just as, if not more, mechanically challenging thanIt Takes Two, with a wealth of difficult platforming stages, side content, and competitive sequences at their fingertips.
Deviating from the path of the studio’s previousco-op adventure games,Split Fictionwill take players on a journey between the real world, sci-fi, and fantasy settings. Thrust into the very same universes that writers Mio and Zoe created, each level will yield a unique set of abilities, such as riding dragons, hoverboards, snowboarding, and turning into flying pigs. As a game that evolves moment-to-moment, the distinct differences and themes between stages suit a game aptly namedSplit Fiction.
“Split Fictionwill take players on a journey between the real world, sci-fi, and fantasy settings.”
Stage Fright Is A Logical Next Step From Overcooked
Though the gameplay portion remains mostly undisclosed, Hello Games and Ghost Town Games are preparing to deliver an innovative indie co-op experience in 2025. Respectively, its last two entries were 2018’sOvercooked 2and theremasterOvercooked! All You Can Eatin 2020. With a significant period of time since the sequel toOvercooked, it’s clear the developers have been cooking up something special.
Stage Frightbuilds on the familiar split screen concept from 2016’sOvercooked,while also potentially taking cues from Hazelight Studios’It Takes Two. During theannouncement ofStage Fright, developers described it asOvercookedmeetsLuigi’s Mansion, hence the frightening aspect of the title. Featuring a revitalized art style reminiscent of former projects, players must solve escape room puzzles, overcome obstacles, and unravel a mysterious and ancient mystery.
LikeIt Takes Two, the studio has noted thatStage Frightwill include a surprisingly profound narrative. Its two cartoony characters and their dynamic will also feel familiar to fans of Cody and May from Hazelight’s award-winning co-op title. While the chaotic cooking simulator is known for being more tongue-in-cheek, Hello Games' head of publishing, Tim Woodley, says the newest game will be “more touching, with a real heart.” Ultimately, it seems that 2025 will be a promising start to a fresh era ofIt Takes Two-like games, born from the culmination of years of hard work and local co-op experimentation.
