The name Hazelight may still not be immediately familiar to many in the video game industry. More familiar might be Hazelight’s founder Josef Fares, who has made several appearances duringThe Game Awardsgoing back to when he shouted “F*** the Oscars!” in 2017. Yet despite the studio’s small stature, its first gameA Way Outhas proven to be a stunning success, which even surprised its publisher Electronic Arts.
In an interview with IGN, Fares spoke candidly aboutA Way Out’s development. He explained how no one believed in the potential ofA Way Out, and that even Electronic Arts didn’t think it would sell. He does note that “they still believed in me,” however. Fares goes on to say that it didn’t matter who believed in him, because he believed in himself. He’d say to himself, “This is going to happen,” and ultimately that reality became the truth.
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Fares reveals that Hazelight’sA Way Outhas sold nearly 3.5 million copies now, which is a striking success for a young, small studio. Though most young or small studios don’t get the kind of backing thatElectronic Artscan offer. According to Fares,A Way Outwas developed by a team of around 30-35 different developers. He believes that passion and belief in the project are what helped them create a game that audiences really wanted.
On the back ofA Way Out’s success, Hazelight is working on another project designed around two players working together.It Takes Twois a more magical, fairy tale experience, especially compared to the grounded, mature storytelling ofA Way Out. Expect to hear Takes Twoin 2021.
A Way Outis available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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