Split Fiction Streamers Discover and Conquer the Laser Hell Secret Stage, Earning a Trip to Hazelight Studios
Dive into the thrilling world of Split Fiction as streamers unlock the challenging "Laser Hell" stage, securing an exclusive visit to Hazelight Studios. Learn more about this exciting challenge and what's next for the studio 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 hidden gems like the "Laser Hell" stage. This notoriously tough challenge was recently conquered by Chinese streamers sharkOvO and E1uM4y, who shared their triumph on BiliBili. To access this stage, players must input a specific sequence on the elevator switches in the Isolation level, leading them to a laser-filled platform.
Their success unlocked a special video message from Hazelight's founder, Josef Fares, who praised their achievement and extended an invitation to visit Hazelight Studios in Sweden. Fares, impressed by their feat, confirmed the invitation on Twitter (X) on March 19, stating, "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 project. Fares expressed that while every game release marks a new beginning for him, Split Fiction has been particularly well-received. "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. 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 relationship 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, stating that despite any negative perceptions of the publisher, EA respects Hazelight's creative autonomy. "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 various community-reported issues. This update included fixes for in-game mechanics, minor online play glitches, and improvements in localization and subtitles across all languages.
Additionally, Split Fiction achieved a significant milestone by selling over 2 million copies within just one week of its release. This impressive figure outpaces the sales of Hazelight's previous hit, It Takes Two, which sold 1 million copies a few weeks after its 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!
