Split Fiction

Presentation

Split Fiction is an action-platforming adventure designed entirely around two-player cooperation. Developed by Hazelight Studios, the game follows Mio and Zoe, two writers with opposing creative styles: Mio writes science fiction, while Zoe focuses on fantasy.

After becoming trapped inside a simulation built from their own stories, they must travel together through a succession of worlds created by their imagination. The adventure constantly shifts between futuristic settings and fantasy realms, allowing the game to regularly change its tone, rules and mechanics.

Cooperation sits at the center of every situation. Mio and Zoe often have different abilities and must coordinate their actions to progress, solve puzzles, cross platforming sequences or overcome threats. The game is designed from the ground up for two players, either in local split-screen or online co-op.

The main defining feature of Split Fiction is its constant gameplay variety. One section may focus on platforming, another on stealth or puzzles, before shifting toward more action-oriented sequences. The abilities given to both characters also change regularly so that each world has its own logic instead of relying on one fixed set of powers throughout the entire game.

This variety is directly tied to the stories imagined by the two protagonists. Mio and Zoe's fictional worlds are therefore more than simple settings: they determine the rules, creatures and abilities used to move forward.

The Side Stories expand on this idea through optional scenarios found throughout the adventure. These detours lead into simulations separate from the main path, each with its own situations and cooperative mechanics. They provide additional glimpses into the writers' imagination while introducing concepts that do not necessarily fit into the main chapters.

Despite the constant succession of different ideas, progression remains anchored by the relationship between Mio and Zoe. They begin the story with very different personalities and views on writing, but their survival quickly depends on their ability to understand and trust one another.

The game therefore continues the cooperative philosophy Hazelight previously developed in A Way Out and It Takes Two, while pushing the idea of an adventure that can regularly change genre without abandoning its two-player structure.

Key points

• An adventure designed exclusively for two players.
• Two protagonists: Mio and Zoe, writers of science fiction and fantasy.
• A story set inside a simulation built from their own fiction.
• Constant alternation between science fiction and fantasy.
• Mechanics and abilities that change regularly from one level to another.
• A mix of platforming, action, puzzles, stealth and more experimental sequences.
• Cooperative situations where both players often have complementary roles.
• Optional Side Stories offering additional worlds and concepts.
• Local split-screen or online co-op.
• A Friend's Pass allowing a second player to join without owning the full game.
• Support for cross-play between compatible platforms.

Conclusion

Split Fiction builds its identity around cooperation and constant renewal. Rather than developing one central mechanic across the entire adventure, Hazelight uses Mio and Zoe's stories to regularly change the abilities, environments and types of challenges presented to the players.

The contrast between science fiction and fantasy provides a narrative reason for that variety, while the relationship between the two writers creates continuity across worlds that are intentionally very different.

The game therefore extends Hazelight's cooperative approach: two players must progress together, but the rules of their collaboration are continually reinvented throughout the journey.

Good to know

Split Fiction was developed by Hazelight Studios and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Originals label.

The game was released on March 6, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

A Nintendo Switch 2 version was released later on June 5, 2025, alongside the console's launch. It retains the same adventure while supporting certain platform-specific features.

Split Fiction is designed for two players and does not include a traditional solo campaign.

The Friend's Pass allows someone who owns the game to invite a second player to experience the full adventure online for free. The system also supports cross-play between PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2.

The game is directed by Josef Fares, founder of Hazelight Studios, also known for Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, A Way Out and It Takes Two.

This entry focuses on the main campaign, Side Stories and core cooperative systems of Split Fiction, without detailing every individual world or mechanic in order to preserve their discovery during play.