South of Midnight: Weaver's Edition

It looks like layoffs at Xbox have started, with a number of developers at South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games now looking for new opportunities. The layoffs come as part of a massive shakeup at Xbox under new CEO Asha Sharma, which will reportedly see multiple Xbox Game Studios either closed or going independent once more. The fate of Compulsion as a studio is still unclear. Reports from earlier in June suggested that Xbox was preparing to close the studio, though Compulsion leadership was said to be in discussions with Xbox over potentially spinning the studio off on its own. News o

Microsoft is reportedly going to close the Canadian developer Compulsion Games, which is known for Contrast, We Happy Few, and South of Midnight. According to Kotaku, the cuts could affect more than 90 people. Another report, from Mike Straw of Insider Gaming, said Arkane is also set to be closed as part of Microsoft's "reset" of the Xbox business. GameSpot has contacted Microsoft seeking comment on the reports. Microsoft acquired Compulsion in 2018 and took ownership of Arkane following its buyout of Bethesda owner ZeniMax. Arkane Austin was closed in May 2024. Arkane Lyon, meanwhile, is deve

Microsoft is reportedly planning to shut down South of Midnight and We Happy Few developer Compulsion Games.

An Xbox Game Studio no more.

Look, it's no surprise to anyone for me to admit that I like South of Midnight. I've written about it being a love letter to the American Deep South, noted how it was one of the best Xbox games of 2025, and talked about how much the game's story, characters, and setting have meant to me on video podcasts for both GameSpot and IGN. I want everyone to play this game, and there's never been a better time to do so on Steam. As noticed by Respec, Xbox is no longer listed as the publisher for South of Midnight on Steam. Instead, the game is noted as being self-published by Compulsion Games, reflecti