By Sagar V. Mankar 
Hazelight Studios’ new game Split Fiction has set a new record as the most successful premium game launch from publisher Electronic Arts in recent years.
The co-op adventure game, released on March 6, 2025, has reached over 250,000 concurrent players on Steam. This impressive number makes it the second-biggest EA game launch on Steam ever, only behind the free-to-play battle royale shooter Apex Legends.
According to SteamDB, Split Fiction reached a peak of 254,756 concurrent players shortly after launch. This is more than three times higher than Hazelight’s previous hit game, It Takes Two, which peaked at 71,039 players.
Before Split Fiction came along, Battlefield V held the record for the highest number of concurrent players for a premium EA game on Steam with 116,104 players. Split Fiction has more than doubled this record.
The game isn’t just popular with players—critics love it too. Split Fiction has earned a 91% score on Metacritic, making it the first EA-published game to score above 90 in over ten years. The last EA game to achieve this was Mass Effect 3 back in 2012.
On Steam, players have given the game overwhelmingly positive reviews. It started with a 96% positive rating from nearly 500 reviews on launch day, which has since improved to a 98% positive rating from over 11,000 reviews.
GameSpot gave Split Fiction a perfect 10/10 score, calling it “a remarkable love letter to creativity, video games, and companionship.” IGN awarded it 9/10, describing the game as “an expertly crafted co-op adventure that pinballs from one genre extreme to another.”
Eurogamer also praised the game, giving it 5/5 stars and calling it “fantastic from start to finish” and “one of the most inventive and joyful co-op games to date.”
Split Fiction tells the story of two writers named Mio and Zoe. One writes science fiction, while the other creates fantasy adventures. In the game, they become trapped in their own stories by a machine designed to steal their creative ideas. Players must work together to help them escape numerous worlds while keeping their memories intact.
The game requires two players and uses a split-screen display. Players need to coordinate their actions to overcome obstacles as the game constantly shifts between different genres and gameplay styles. One moment players might be flying dragons, and the next they could be in a dance battle.
Like Hazelight’s previous games, Split Fiction offers a “Friend’s Pass” feature. This allows two people to play together when only one of them owns the game, making it easier for friends to enjoy the co-op experience.
Split Fiction is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The game’s success shows a growing interest in cooperative gaming experiences that focus on storytelling and creative gameplay.
While EA hasn’t released official sales figures yet, the high player count suggests the game is likely to be a commercial success. If it follows the pattern of Hazelight’s previous titles, it could become another profitable venture for both the developer and publisher.
Despite some controversy over the game’s diverse cast and themes, with some players criticizing it as “woke,” director Josef Fares has dismissed these criticisms. “What the f*** is this?… I don’t care what you have between your legs, that’s totally not interesting to me. Good characters is what’s important,” Fares said in response to a fan comment.
With its combination of critical acclaim and strong player numbers, Split Fiction appears to have cemented Hazelight Studios’ reputation as a master of cooperative gaming experiences and could be a strong contender for game awards in 2025.