"Fiction Streamers Win Hazelight Studios Trip for Completing Secret Stage"

Split Fiction Streamers Earn a Trip to Hazelight Studios After Completing Secret Stage

Following the successful launch of Split Fiction last month, the game continues to surprise players with its hidden challenges. Recently, two streamers, sharkOvO and E1uM4y, discovered and conquered the notoriously difficult "Laser Hell" secret stage, earning themselves a special reward: a trip to Hazelight Studios in Sweden.

Split Fiction Continues With More Surprises

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

The "Laser Hell" challenge is accessed by entering a specific sequence of switches on the elevator in the Isolation level, leading players to a platform stage filled with lasers. Chinese streamers sharkOvO and E1uM4y showcased their triumph over this stage on BiliBili, and their success did not go unnoticed. In a video message, Hazelight Founder Josef Fares congratulated the duo, revealing that even many of the game's developers struggled to complete it. Fares then extended an invitation to visit Hazelight Studios, a promise he reaffirmed on Twitter (X) on March 19, saying, "Congrats to 'sharkOvO' and 'E1uM4y' for finishing the secret challenge 'Laser Hell' in #splitficton. 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 their publisher, EA, and hinted at the studio's next project. Fares expressed his excitement about moving forward, 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.' 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 was tight-lipped about the specifics of their new project, he mentioned that work began about a month ago and assured fans that the team is incredibly excited about it. He also clarified Hazelight's relationship with EA, emphasizing the autonomy they enjoy: "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." Fares praised EA for being a respectful partner, allowing Hazelight to operate freely and 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 several community-identified issues such as in-game mechanics, online play glitches, and localization improvements. In a remarkable achievement, the game sold over 2 million copies within just one week of its release, surpassing the initial sales pace of Hazelight’s 2021 Game of the Year Award winner, It Takes Two, which reached 1 million copies a few weeks after launch and eventually sold 20 million by October 2024.

Split Fiction is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. To stay updated with the latest news about the game, be sure to check out our article below!