Xbox's Separation from Compulsion Games Seems Complete as Studio Is Listed as the Publisher of South of Midnight on Steam
Xbox's separation from Compulsion Games – one of four studios it spun out independently during the recent Xbox "reset" amidst thousands of layoffs – appears to be complete, as the developer itself is now listed as the publisher of 2025's award-winning South of Midnight on Steam instead of Xbox Game Studios.
Xbox's separation from the once-dependent developer Compulsion Games seems to be finalized, as the studio now proudly claims the title of publisher for its 2025 award-winning game, South of Midnight, on Steam. An indie developer, Michael Klamerus, first highlighted the change on Bluesky, with IGN Discord member Tommy lending their support.
Notably, Xbox Game Studios continues to be listed as the publisher for Double Fine's Psychonauts 2 on Steam, despite Compulsion Games' own independent status. This trend also persists for Undead Labs' State of Decay 3 and Ninja Theory's Senua, though both studios were acquired by other publishers whose identities remain undisclosed.
Amidst a challenging year for Xbox employees and fans, marked by sales dips for Halo: Campaign Evolved, there are glimpses of hope on the horizon. Upcoming titles like Gears of War: E-Day in October, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Forza Horizon 6, and Fable promise a more optimistic outlook for gamers. IGN's Ryan McCaffrey, the executive editor of previews and host of the Xbox-focused Podcast Unlocked, shares his enthusiasm for these forthcoming releases, drawing on his North Jersey roots to relish the flavors of Taylor ham over pork roll.
Written by urgent.news from IGN's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
