Hazelight Studios, the Swedish developer known for co-operative titles A Way Out, It Takes Two, and Split Fiction, announced this week that combined sales across its games have surpassed 50 million units — a milestone that places the independent studio among the most commercially successful co-op game developers in recent memory. According to the studio's own announcement, It Takes Two accounts for the largest share of that total, despite Split Fiction being its most recent release. The figure reflects cumulative sales across platforms and over multiple years, rather than a single title’s performance.
It Takes Two Still Drives the Numbers
The breakdown is notable given that Split Fiction launched more recently and generated considerable attention at release. According to Hazelight's own figures, It Takes Two — which won the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2021 — continues to outsell its successors in cumulative terms. The game’s sustained commercial performance highlights the long tail effect often seen in critically acclaimed titles, where strong reviews and player recommendations continue to drive sales well beyond the initial launch period.
A key factor behind this longevity is Hazelight’s design philosophy. It Takes Two was built entirely around cooperative gameplay, requiring two players to progress, but offsetting that requirement with its Friends Pass system. This feature allows a second player to join the game without purchasing a separate copy, effectively lowering the barrier to entry and expanding the potential player base. Over time, this approach appears to have translated into higher cumulative reach and steady ongoing sales.
A Way Out, Hazelight's debut co-op title from 2018, also contributes to the combined total. While it did not achieve the same level of critical acclaim as It Takes Two, it established the studio’s identity in the co-op space and laid the foundation for its later success. The studio has not publicly provided a fully detailed breakdown of sales per title that has been independently verified beyond its own communication.
Split Fiction's Place in the Studio's Growth
Split Fiction, released in early 2025, built on the design philosophy of It Takes Two with a genre-hopping co-op structure and a similarly accessible multiplayer model. The game received strong critical reception and debuted with solid sales figures. However, according to the visual breakdown shared by Hazelight, it currently represents a smaller portion of the 50 million total compared to It Takes Two.
This difference is likely explained by time on the market rather than performance at launch. It Takes Two has had several years to accumulate sales across multiple platforms, including next-generation consoles and PC, while Split Fiction is still relatively early in its lifecycle. As a result, its contribution to the total may continue to grow in the coming years.
What the Milestone Signals for an Independent Studio
Hazelight operates as an independent studio under Electronic Arts' publishing umbrella, a partnership that has remained consistent across all three titles. Reaching 50 million combined sales without relying on a live-service model, microtransactions or a traditional sequel-driven franchise structure is a notable achievement. It suggests that there is sustained demand for narrative-driven, co-operative experiences in a market often dominated by competitive multiplayer and service-based games.
The announcement does not include a forward-looking roadmap or confirmation of a next project, and no such details have been independently verified. No official statement from Electronic Arts has corroborated the precise breakdown of sales figures, and the 50 million number originates from Hazelight’s own communication as reported by Eurogamer. While independent tracking services have not published matching cumulative data at the time of writing, previously confirmed milestones for It Takes Two lend credibility to the overall figure.
