Split Fiction: Early GOTY Contender And The Good Time We Needed

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Split Fiction key art shows the main characters. — Image: Hazelight Studios

EA and Hazelight’s latest co-op adventure, Split Fiction, is out now across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. As with previous Hazelight games, like It Takes Two, Split Fiction is a co-op only experience that features a dazzling amount of gameplay mechanics. One moment you’ll be flying dragons and later you’ll be navigating a sci-fi pinball machine as a small robotic ball. Since its release, we’ve covered the game quite a bit. Here’s all of our coverage of what is proving to be one of EA’s biggest hits in many, many years.

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4 Things To Know Before Playing Co-Op Action Game Split Fiction

An image of Split Fiction's two main characters, one in a sci-fi setting and the other in a fantasy setting. — Image: EA

Split Fiction is equal parts heartwarming tale and heart-pounding adventure, expertly blending sci-fi and fantasy into a creative cooperative journey unlike anything you’ve seen. Before you dive in with a friend or loved one, though, here are four things you should know about the game. — Billy Givens

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Split Fiction Is More It Takes Two, But With An Unlikely Inspiration

Mio and Zoe meet their new dragon babies. — Image: Hazelight Studios

When I played Hazelight’s last game, It Takes Two, back in 2021, it was with an ex who’d had different ideas about where our relationship should go than I did. This made playing as a squabbling, estranged couple in a co-op platformer more fitting for that moment in my life than I could have anticipated. So it’s funny that Hazelight’s upcoming co-op game, Split Fiction, also feels timely, this one due to its obvious disdain for corporate slop and art theft at a time when nearly every creative field, including the one I work in now, is dealing with the fallout of AI. — Kenneth Shepard

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Split Fiction Is Out Now, Here’s Why You’ll Want To Get Distracted By It

An image of Split Fiction's main characters in a sci-fi setting staring at a large opening in a simulation room. — Screenshot: EA

Hazelight Studios has once again brought a whole heap of co-op joy with its newest game, Split Fiction, which sends two players on a high-stakes quest across high fantasy and sci-fi settings. There are plenty of funny and heartfelt moments for you and a friend to experience in this adventure. But if you’re wondering how many hours of cooperative fun there is to be had, we’ve got the answer for you. Here’s how long it takes to beat Split Fiction. — Billy Givens

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How To Crack The Baby Bird Egg In Co-Op Adventure Split Fiction

An image of a baby bird squawking in Split Fiction. — Screenshot: EA / Kotaku

As you work your way through one of Zoe’s early fantasy levels in Split Fiction, you’ll come across a collection of baby birds in tiny nests. One of these little buddies hasn’t fully hatched yet, with only his poor little wings sticking out. But you can help him, while also helping yourself clear the bramble in your way. Solving this puzzle will be easy with our egg-cellent…You know what? No. I’m not letting myself be that guy who does stupid egg puns. Here’s how to crack the bird egg in Split Fiction. That’s it. That’s all you’re getting from me. — Billy Givens

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Split Fiction Is A Smash Hit By Every Metric And A Lesson To EA And Others

Image for article titled Split Fiction Is The Good Time Everyone Needs Right Now — Image: EA / Hazelight / Steam / Metacritic / Kotaku

As I write this sentence, the latest co-op adventure game from Hazelight, Split Fiction, hasn’t even been out for 48 hours. Yet based on player count numbers, Metacritic rankings, reviews, and player ratings, it is already one of EA’s most successful and critically acclaimed games in years. And hopefully, EA and other publishers learn a thing or two from the co-op game’s success. — Zack Zwiezen

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Split Fiction: The Kotaku Review

Zoe and Mio look at something in the sky. — Screenshot: Hazelight Studios / Kotaku

In the dozen or so hours a friend and I put into Split Fiction, the latest co-op game from It Takes Two developer Hazelight, it never seemed to run out of ideas. This latest release, with its marriage of fantasy and science fiction, still feels as fresh and inventive as It Takes Two and A Way Out did for their time, which is all the more impressive considering that the studio has been releasing these co-op adventures now for the better part of a decade. — Kenneth Shepard

Split Fiction Is The Good Time Everyone Needs Right Now

EA is enjoying one of its most critically acclaimed releases in years, and we may have 2025's first GOTY contender