One of this year’s biggest hits is Hazelight Studios’ Split Fiction, the two-player co-op sci-fi/fantasy adventure that has sold over 4 million copies since its release in March 2025. Now, Hazelight Studios has shared the news of a rare honor in its home country of Sweden, as Split Fiction has become the first video game to ever receive the Excellent Swedish Design award.
On Hazelight Studios’ social media accounts, the company posted a picture of studio founder and Split Fiction director Josef Fares alongside Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip, who presented the award.
Swedish royalty (left) and his buddy (right) 😏
But seriously – the prince of Sweden, his majesty Carl Philip, just awarded Split Fiction the prestigious Excellent Swedish Design award.
We’re thankful to be the first videogame to ever receive it! 👑🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/9xT5KvOJDj— Hazelight Studios (@HazelightGames) September 17, 2025
The co-op game follows two young writers, Mio Hudson (Kaja Chan) and Zoe Foster (Elsie Bennett), who find themselves trapped in a simulation of their stories. Mio and Zoe are forced to work together as their fictional worlds bleed into each other. Split Fiction was the follow up to Hazelight Studios’ other successful co-op title, It Takes Two, which sold 23 million copies.
There’s already a Split Fiction movie in development, with Wicked director John M. Chu potentially helming the film. Sydney Sweeney is also attached to star in the project. Deadpool writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese signed on to handle the script in June. Fares has expressed some doubt about whether Split Fiction will actually make it to the big screen, but it does appear to have momentum behind it.
Split Fiction is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
