Discover how Split Fiction streamers conquered the Laser Hell challenge, earning a trip to Hazelight Studios, and get insights into the studio's plans 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
Split Fiction, which enjoyed a successful launch last month, continues to captivate players with its hidden gems. One such surprise is the secret "Laser Hell" stage, a notoriously tough challenge that has been conquered by a pair of dedicated streamers. Chinese streamers sharkOvO and E1uM4y showcased their triumph on the streaming platform BiliBili, revealing how they accessed this elusive stage.
To reach Laser Hell, players must input a specific sequence of switches on the elevator in the Isolation level, which transports them to a platform stage filled with lasers. Their victory unlocked a congratulatory video from Hazelight's founder, Josef Fares, who praised their achievement, noting 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 upcoming project. Fares expressed a sense of completion with each game release, 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.’" He highlighted Split Fiction's reception as particularly special, adding, "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 shared the studio's excitement, saying, "There is a reason why I can’t talk about the next game; it’s because it’s quite early. 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 Hazelight's 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." He emphasized the autonomy Hazelight enjoys, stating, "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." Despite mixed perceptions of EA, Fares praised the publisher's support, noting, "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 rolled out its first update, addressing various issues identified by the community since its launch. These fixes encompassed in-game mechanics, minor online play glitches, and improvements in localization and subtitles across all languages.
In addition to the update, Split Fiction achieved a significant milestone by selling over 2 million copies within just one week of release. This achievement outpaces the sales of Hazelight's 2021 Game of the Year Award winner, 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 on the game by checking out our article below!
