South of Midnight was easily one of the standout reveals shown by Microsoft at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 this Summer.
Canadian developer Compulsion Games captivated viewers’ imaginations thanks to the stunning, stop-motion-inspired art style and unique setting. South of Midnight takes place in the so-called American Deep South, albeit in a version where Southern folklore, with its peculiar magic and monsters, is actually real.
The game’s heroine, Hazel, is forced to become a Weaver when her rural hometown is struck by disaster. Weavers are magic users who focus on repairing broken spirits and bonds. Over the course of the adventure, Hazel will have to subdue various dangerous creatures taken straight out of Southern myths, like the Altamaha-ha seen in the debut trailer. The gameplay was described as wide linear, offering a degree of exploration for each zone before players progress to the next area.
South of Midnight doesn’t have an official release date yet, but the LinkedIn profile of a Senior PR Manager spotted by Timur222 hints at a potential 2024 launch window, which is surprising as most Xbox users had pegged the game for a 2025 debut.
However, it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibilities, either. After all, the studio’s previous game (the action/adventure We Happy Few) was released in August 2018. Before that, the platformer puzzler Contrast had launched in November 2013. A late 2024 launch date would be more than six years after We Happy Few, which seems ample time to make a game.
On the one hand, South of Midnight is likely bigger than any of the studio’s previous projects. On the other hand, Compulsion Games is now part of Xbox Game Studios since Microsoft acquired the team in 2018. They have access to far greater resources and have doubled in size.
By the way, the game can already be wishlisted on Steam. If South of Midnight is indeed prepping a 2024 release, chances are we might begin hearing more about this action/adventure title in the first half of next year.
