Josef Fares SLAMS EA: Did They REALLY Deserve That?!

Josef Fares, the delightfully unfiltered director of Hazelight Studios and the creative mind behind co-op masterpieces like *A Way Out* and *It Takes Two*, has never shied away from expressing his opinions. This time, he’s taking aim at the gaming industry's collective narrative surrounding Electronic Arts (EA), arguing they receive an undue amount of flak.

Josef Fares SLAMS EA: Did They REALLY Deserve That...

Fares, known for his passionate presentations (remember "Fuck the Oscars!"?) believes the "EA is getting more shit than they deserve." He points out a simple truth: "There's not a publisher in the world that hasn't fucked up now and then." In an interview with The Game Business, he even went as far as to name-drop other gaming giants like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, implying that everyone has skeletons in their closet.

Now, it's easy to dismiss this as mere PR spin considering Hazelight's long-standing partnership with EA – they’ve collaborated on all three of Hazelight’s games, including their latest hit, *Split Fiction*. But Fares insists the relationship is genuine. "There are a lot of great people at EA," he explained. "They know how we work. They respect it and they leave us be." This level of creative autonomy is clearly important to Fares, and if the partnership wasn't working, you get the feeling he’d be the first to walk away.

EA's reputation, of course, isn't exactly spotless. They’ve faced criticism over monetization strategies, studio closures, and, more recently, a kerfuffle with *The Sims* community after several high-profile content creators withdrew from the EA Creator Network. EA responded to this situation by reassuring fans that "the values of The Sims are unchanged," but the sting of the controversy lingers.

Meanwhile, *Split Fiction* continues to ride a wave of critical acclaim and commercial success. We here at the site gave it a glowing five-star review, calling it "fantastic from start to finish" and "one of the most inventive and joyful co-op games to date, and a testament to the power of human imagination." The game's performance speaks for itself: a million units sold in the first 48 hours, another million by the end of the week, and multiple world records broken for local co-op play. And that's not all – a *Split Fiction* film adaptation, starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Jon M. Chu (*Wicked*), is already in the works. So, maybe Fares has a point. Perhaps we're all a little too quick to judge EA. Or maybe, just maybe, they’re lucky to have someone like Josef Fares in their corner.