I still remember reading that Josef Fares AMA like it was a live grenade with a smiley face drawn on it. Someone asked whether Hazelight had plans for its next game, and Fares basically replied: plans? We already started it. It is shaping up to be super cool. It will take everything to the next level. Hazelight fans will be shocked. Everyone will be shocked. Look, I have interviewed enough developers to know that 'next level' is usually marketing yoga. But Fares says it with such cheerful chaos that I believe him anyway.
That AMA was not just a victory lap for It Takes Two. It was a peek behind the curtain at a studio that treats co-op not as a feature but as a personality trait. Fares answered a question about more cooperative titles by explaining that his games need to be received well so more co-op experiences can be made. That is not fluffy PR; that is survival math. Co-op games are like houseplants: they need light, water, and at least two players who will not rage-quit during a puzzle. Hazelight has spent years proving that the houseplant can thrive.
It Takes Two did not just review well. It barged into the room and rearranged the furniture. My review called it the best co-op game since Portal 2, and that sentiment was not lonely. It quickly became one of the best-reviewed games of 2021. The game made players root for a divorce, which is a sentence I never expected to type, and it did so with a level of invention that made every chapter feel like a new toy chest. One minute you are a tiny robot; the next you are a magical spell; the next you are having an uncomfortable conversation about an elephant. And honestly? Good. Games should be weird.
The AMA also sprinkled out details like confetti. Fares announced the soundtrack would soon come to streaming services, which means the music was packing its bags and heading to a playlist near you. He re-confirmed that 'every shake is me' when asked about mo-capping Dr Hakim, which is the most Fares sentence in the history of sentences. He also confirmed that Cody would probably enjoy pineapple on his pizza. I have no legal comment, but I do have a raised eyebrow. Don't @ me.
Then there was the elephant scene. A commenter said the scene really conveys Cody and May's desperation, and that it should be a shift in tone. Fares agreed, saying it is a good thing people are reacting to it, because it means they did something good and there is a point to that. That scene wears a tiny sign that says 'I am here to ruin your evening,' and yet it works. It is uncomfortable, memorable, and exactly the kind of emotional left turn that makes It Takes Two stick in your brain like a catchy chorus.
| AMA topic | What Fares said | My 2026 take |
|---|---|---|
| Next game | Already started, will take everything to the next level | The tease aged like a fine, chaotic wine |
| Co-op future | Good reception helps more co-op games get made | Hazelight's whole identity is two-player chaos |
| Soundtrack | Coming soon to streaming services | Finally, the music escapes the game disc |
| Dr Hakim mo-cap | 'Every shake is me' | Peak developer honesty |
| Cody's pizza | Probably likes pineapple | A crime, but a fictional one |
| Elephant scene | People reacting means it worked | Still not okay. Still brilliant. |
Now, from the lofty vantage point of 2026, that AMA reads like a blueprint. The next game Fares teased eventually arrived as Split Fiction, another co-op adventure with Hazelight's fingerprints all over it. I will not pretend the 2021 AMA predicted every detail, but the DNA is obvious: two players, one screen, zero chill. The promise to take things to the next level did not evaporate into the fog. It mutated into another excuse to grab a friend and argue about who gets to be the competent one. If you have played it, you know.
What I love most about this little time capsule is how much it reveals about Hazelight's philosophy. Fares is not chasing a solo prestige drama or a live-service spreadsheet. He is chasing the specific magic of two people sharing a screen and a stupid, wonderful problem. That is why the AMA answers still feel relevant in 2026. Co-op is not a genre to him; it is a social contract with jokes. And if the next Hazelight game shocks everyone, I will be right there, controller in hand, ready to be shocked... and probably stuck on a puzzle.
This discussion is informed by Eurogamer, whose long-running reviews and features often underline why inventive co-op design stands out in a crowded market; that perspective fits Hazelight perfectly, since the studio’s appeal has always come from turning collaboration, tension, and surprise into the main event rather than treating multiplayer as an optional extra.