Hazelight Studios has achieved an extraordinary milestone in the cooperative gaming space, with their hit title It Takes Two reaching over 23 million copies sold worldwide. Their previous release, A Way Out, has also crossed the impressive threshold of 11 million sales, cementing the studio’s position as a leader in crafting successful cooperative gaming experiences.
These numbers are particularly remarkable considering the studio’s innovative “Friend Pass” approach with It Takes Two. This system allows a second player to join for free when a friend purchases the game, essentially doubling the player base while maintaining strong sales.
It Takes Two, released in 2021, took home Game of the Year at The Game Awards that same year. The game combines varied gameplay mechanics with a compelling story about a couple on the brink of divorce who must work together after being magically transformed into dolls.
The studio’s first major release, A Way Out (2018), pioneered their commitment to mandatory cooperative play through its prison-break narrative that requires two players to coordinate their actions through split-screen gameplay.
Josef Fares, Hazelight’s founder and creative director, has consistently championed cooperative experiences that force meaningful interaction between players. His vision has clearly resonated with audiences seeking games specifically designed for shared play rather than tacked-on multiplayer modes.
The success story extends beyond Western markets, with significant sales reported in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. This international appeal demonstrates how cooperative gaming crosses cultural boundaries, particularly during periods when people sought connection through digital means.
Industry analysts note that Hazelight has effectively filled a market gap that larger studios have largely ignored—narrative-driven cooperative experiences that put equal emphasis on story and collaborative gameplay mechanics.
The games have earned praise from players for their creative level design and constant introduction of new gameplay elements that keep the cooperative experience fresh throughout.
Each section of It Takes Two introduces new mechanics that both players must master together, preventing the experience from growing stale.
Hazelight continues to build on this successful formula with their recently released title Split Fiction, which follows a similar cooperative gameplay model.
The consistent commercial performance of their games suggests the studio has identified a sustainable niche that resonates with players looking for meaningful shared experiences.
