EA and Hazelight Studios introduce Split Fiction: Friend Edition

In anticipation of their upcoming co-op only release Split Fiction, EA and Hazelight Studios have released a friend edition, in which you can receive a copy of the game, a second controller, and a real friend shipped right to your door! OK, maybe not really - but it's still a funny joke. They may not send you a real friend to play with, but they do offer a friend pass which allows a second player to play the game without owning it!

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - March 3, 2025 - Today is a great day to be a gamer, as EA and Hazelight Studios unveiled Split Fiction: Friend Edition – a very special edition of the anticipated co-op adventure from the team behind the 2021 Game of the Year winner, It Takes Two. This limited edition of Split Fiction comes with all the essentials for you to jump straight into amazing co-op gaming - a copy of the game, a second controller, and for the first (and maybe only) time ever, a real friend shipped straight to your door. Get ready, because Split Fiction: Friend Edition is coming soon to a couch near you.

“As a gamer, being part of an epic special edition like this is awesome! I’m honored to be the first ever real-life friend to come with a game,” said Greg, a companion that players can unbox by ordering Split Fiction: Friend Edition. “It was a little scary when Josef Fares told me to go into the packaging, but it’s roomier and comfier than it looks. I’m excited to travel the world and make a new friend. I’ve got snacks to share and high fives to hand out as soon as I’m unboxed.” 

Friend Edition is an innovative solution to the age-old “I need a co-op buddy now” problem, by bringing a living, breathing co-op partner straight to players and delivering the multiplayer magic that defines Hazelight’s games. And if you’re planning to stream the game and need a partner in a pinch, this is a perfect bundle for you. 

“I´ve heard your feedback, some of you out there don´t have a friend to play with. But don´t you worry, I got you covered!” said Josef Fares, Hazelight Studios Founder.

In response to Friend Edition, EA Chief Publishing Officer Scott Forrest also stated, “They’re doing WHAT!? No, of course we didn’t sign off on this! Why on Earth would they go through the trouble of shipping when you can just join the Discord and use Friend’s Pass for free?”

Quantities of Split Fiction: Friend Edition are very limited, so be sure to keep an eye on the official website. Can’t get your hands on one? Don’t worry! There are countless players looking for friends to play with on the official Hazelight Discord Server. And with Friend’s Pass, you can invite anyone to play with you for free if you own a copy of the game: https://discord.com/invite/hazelight 

No matter how two players find each other, Split Fiction will support full cross-play across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via EA App, Steam and Epic Games Store when it launches on March 6. And with Hazelight’s Friend’s Pass, a returning feature from prior Hazelight titles, finding a co-op partner is easier than ever as two players can play with one copy of the game for free, even across platforms.

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