Does Split Fiction have cross-play or cross-platform play?
Yes, Split Fiction will have cross-play or cross-platform play. This means you’ll be able to play with someone regardless of which system both you and they are using for the game. Notably, this functionality also extends to the Split Fiction Friend’s Pass, so only one person needs to own the game for you and someone on another platform to jump in.
Split Fiction is getting cross-play, a first for Hazelight
Developer Hazelight Studios impressed players in 2017 with A Way Out, a creative two-player co-op game with an always-on splitscreen view that allowed both players to see the world from the other’s perspective. The action-packed prison break thriller was then followed up by It Takes Two, a title with the same type of gameplay but refined design choices, an arguably better story about a fractured couple trying to repair their relationship, and a stylized, yarny art direction. It Takes Two proved to be an even bigger hit and ended up winning 2021’s Game of the Year award, and now, Hazelight is about to drop its third cooperative adventure on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5: Split Fiction.
Split Fiction looks to be the developer’s most creative co-op game yet, with its story following two fiction writers and their struggle to work together after getting trapped in simulations of the sci-fi and fantasy worlds they themselves created. Trailers for the title have shown how players will need to hop between these universes on the fly to progress, and will occasionally even need to cooperate across these worlds. These genre-bending thrills have greatly piqued the interest of gamers worldwide, and as a result, lots of folks are trying to learn more about the game.
One thing many are wondering about it is whether or not it will have cross-play or cross-platform play — the ability to team up with a player using a different system than yours. A Way Out and It Takes Two didn’t have this feature, but folks interested in Split Fiction will be happy to learn that Hazelight’s new game actually does — a first for the studio. That means regardless of what platform both you and the person you want to co-op with are using, you’ll be able to play together.
And the Friend’s Pass will have it, too!
It’s great news that Split Fiction will have cross-play, but the good news doesn’t stop there. Ahead of the game’s launch on March 6, publisher Electronic Arts and Hazelight have confirmed that its Friend’s Pass will have cross-play and cross-platform play support as well.
For those new to Hazelight’s co-op titles, their Friend’s Passes allow someone who buys a copy of the game to invite someone else to play with them free-of-charge. Effectively, this means you only need one copy of Split Fiction for two people to play it, and like the game itself, that Friend’s Pass functionality supports cross-play as well.
To use the Friend’s Pass, the person who didn’t buy the game simply has to install the free Split Fiction Friend’s Pass on their platform of choice and then get an invite from their buddy who did purchase the game. Once they accept it, they’ll be able to connect to their friend’s game and jump into the adventure with them.
If it’s anything like A Way Out and It Takes Two before it, Split Fiction will likely stand out as one of the best Xbox games and best PC games to play this year if you’re after a memorable co-op experience. Preorders for it are available now from a number of different retailers, with the Steam version notably discounted down to just $40.59 at CDKeys.
