If you’ve ever experienced a game from Hazelight Studios, you’ll know they have a knack for developing characters with vibrant personalities, distinct backgrounds, and compelling motivations. These elements combine to create unforgettable shared experiences for you and your co-op partner as the story progresses.
Hazelight is continuing this tradition with their upcoming release, Split Fiction, launching on March 6 for the PS5. Players will step into the shoes of Mio and Zoe, two unpublished writers who couldn’t be more different from each other. At the start of the game, they’re both enticed into visiting Rader Publishing Headquarters with the allure of a publishing deal, only to find themselves trapped in a simulated world based on their own stories. Your task is to help them navigate this mess and find a way out. Let’s delve into their characters so you can decide who to root for when you finally try the game.
Mio Hudson – Sci-Fi Enthusiast
Reserved. Decisive. Realist. Introvert.
Raised by her father in a bustling city, Mio has been scraping by over the past few years. For her, writing isn’t about fame or recognition—it’s all about the cash. Her passion for science fiction is evident in her work, set in neon-lit cyberpunk metropolises, factory planets engulfed in futuristic warfare, and the vast reaches of cold, unyielding space.
Within the game, you’ll see her sci-fi love realized through her powers in the simulation. She might transform into a gravity-defying ninja wielding a razor-sharp energy sword, don an advanced exosuit to control drones remotely, or engage in combat with dual laser blasters clad in futuristic armor.
Zoe Foster – Lover of Fantasy
Charismatic. Empathetic. Optimist. Extrovert.
From the countryside, Zoe is a bubbly, optimistic soul with something to prove to her family. She believes landing a publishing deal might just be her ticket to proving she’s far from a black sheep. Her stories are filled with escapes from troll-infested towns, epic battles through forests facing an encroaching ice age, and quests to save the dwindling dragon population.
Zoe’s adventures spill into the game as she morphs into a mystic shapeshifter, flying gracefully as a fairy, or battling astride a dragon with a legendary sword in hand, even soaring between floating islands using a magical kite.
Given their vastly different personalities, Mio and Zoe must come to grips with their differences, uncover hidden truths about themselves, and realize that to escape the simulated worlds they’re ensnared in, teamwork and friendship are paramount.
In December’s The Game Awards, Josef Fares shared the personal significance behind the characters’ names—they are tributes to his daughters, Mio and Zoe.
Now, the big question for you and your co-op partner: who will be Mio, and who will embrace the role of Zoe?
The Friend’s Pass
Mimicking previous titles like A Way Out and It Takes Two, Hazelight’s popular Friend’s Pass* makes a return. This feature allows one game owner to invite a friend to join in online play for free. Additionally, with plans to introduce cross-play, coordinating gaming sessions across different platforms will be simpler than ever.
Mark your calendars, as Split Fiction is set to hit PlayStation 5 on March 6, 2025.
*Note: Friend’s Pass requires its installation, a steady internet connection, and a platform account. One player must own the full game for their partner to access the complete game experience.
