Josef Fares Teases Next Game with Set Photo, Sparks Three-Player Speculations

Josef Fares, known for his work on It Takes Two and Split Fiction, has unveiled the first image from the set of his next project at Hazelight Studios. In the photo, Fares is seen wearing a comfy sweater while standing alongside three actors dressed in motion capture suits. This marks the commencement of production on his next title, and Fares appears to be intentionally obscuring the actors' identities. With his arm raised and thumb up, he cleverly hides most of the actors’ faces. He captioned the post with, "Next game in the making," accompanied by a thumbs up emoji. The official Hazelight Studios account chimed in with a playful comment: "We're back in the kitchen, cookin' up something really delicious," followed by a humorous note about their "Strategic Arm Placement Tech." Fans have taken to the comments to express their curiosity regarding the identities of the actors, with many suggesting that the presence of three actors could indicate a shift towards three-player gameplay, diverging from the studio’s previous focus on two-character narratives. One fan mused, "Three-player Hazelight Game?" while another exclaimed, "It Takes Three?????" A third user remarked, "It Takes Three lookin great Mr. Fares." Last year, the co-op adventure Split Fiction received critical acclaim and achieved sales exceeding 4 million copies. The game revolves around two writers, Zoe and Mio, who find themselves ensnared in their own intertwining sci-fi and fantasy stories. In a review, it was described as "an expertly crafted co-op adventure that pinballs from one genre extreme to another, offering a rollercoaster of constantly refreshed gameplay ideas and styles – making it hard to walk away from." Fares' earlier title, It Takes Two, was also a hit, featuring a narrative about a couple on the brink of divorce. This game was praised for its creativity and fast-paced co-op gameplay, earning a strong rating of 9/10 in reviews. Fares has a history of creating games centered around pairs, such as the prison escape game A Way Out and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Should his next title indeed venture into three-player territory, it would represent a significant departure from his established formula.