Is 'Split Fiction' Secretly a Sequel to 'It Takes Two?' Answered - And Game Connections Explained

Split Fiction is the latest from Hazelight Studios, the makers of It Takes Two. But is the 2025 video game a sequel to its 2021 forerunner?

It Takes Two was a major win for Hazelight, scoring high with critics and earning the Game of the Year award at the 2021 Game Awards. The game was a co-operative action adventure story that forced players to work together to succeed.

Similarly, Split Fiction (a highly anticipated 2025 game) is a co-op experience with many familiar elements from It Takes Two, which is being received to similar acclaim.

Is Split Fiction an Original Story or a Sequel?

Despite the similarities between the two games, and their shared studio, Split Fiction is not a sequel to It Takes Two.

Narratively, the two games are completely different. It Takes Two follows a married couple, Cody and May, who are forced to face their issues when they become trapped in the dolls of their child. 

Meanwhile, Split Fiction follows two writers and friends, Zoe and Mio, who must find a way to survive when the narratives of the fictional stories they are writing intertwine, landing them in a mash-up world of science fiction and fantasy. 

While Split Fiction may not be a narrative sequel to It Takes Two it can be seen as a spiritual successor and fans of one will likely enjoy the other. 

Both of Hazelight's games come from director Josef Fares and as such they share a co-op framing as well as similar stylistic and gameplay elements that make the two games feel like they're part of the same lineage.

Split Fiction and It Takes Two Easter Eggs Explained

Hazelight Studios' two games are not directly connected but the two do share some Easter eggs for eagle-eyed fans.

Split Fiction contains multiple shout-outs to Hazelight's past games, including an appearance from Cutie the Elephant, who is the ruler of the Magic Castle in It Takes Two.

Additionally, Split Fiction includes a reference to Hazelight's game A Way Out, which was released before It Takes Two. During the game, the players can come across A Way Out's characters Leo and Vincent in neighboring jail cells and witness a conversation between them.

An Easter egg that references all three games can also be found in It Takes Two. During Cody and May's journey they come across a poster for a fictional novel titled 'A Way In' written by Mio Ripley. 

The novel's title is a play on A Way Out, and the book's author, Mio, plus the referrer, Zoe Rubin, are characters from Split Fiction. At the time, Split Fiction had not been announced so the Easter egg was a subtle reference to Hazelight's future and legacy.

In an interview with Xbox On, director Josef Fares said that Split Fiction contains "a lot" of Easter eggs, including one that is "quite chunky" and will be "tremendously challenging" for players to find. 

Split Fiction releases on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 6, 2025.