South of Midnight is one of the most daring platform exclusives of the current generation. This stunning third-person action-adventure game comes courtesy of Compulsion Games – the studio's first new game since the release of We Happy Few back in 2018. Honestly, this is one game you need to have on your radar right now.
South of Midnight has quickly earned its place as one of the most anticipated upcoming Xbox Series X games for 2025 because of its super slick magic-infused combat, stunning sense of place, and evocative visual design as we follow Hazel into the depths of a surreal Deep South inspired landscape. Returning to the best Xbox Series X games aren't making the wait for this one any easier, but getting another look at the South of Midnight gameplay reveal might. So join me as we run through everything you need to know about this exciting new Xbox adventure.
South of Midnight release date
The South of Midnight release date isn't set in stone, although the new third-person adventure from Compulsion Games is targeting a 2025 window. If the game holds to this schedule, it'll land in a packed year for Xbox alongside the likes of Avowed and Doom: The Dark Ages.
South of Midnight platforms
South of Midnight will land on Xbox Series X and PC, and into the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription service on day day of release. There's no word yet on whether a South of Midnight PS5 release is going to happen, even as Microsoft Gaming continues to experiment with bringing more of its Xbox exclusive to other platforms.
South of Midnight trailer
A new South of Midnight trailer was shown during the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024. You can watch is above for yourself and it's well worth your time. In the gameplay reveal, you'll meet Hazel and her companion Catfish as they travel through an area inspired by the Mississippi Delta. Naturally, it isn't long before they encounter trouble – this time in the form of a monster king named Two-Toad Tom.
South of Midnight gameplay
The South of Midnight gameplay experience is centred around third-person action adventure, where you'll control Hazel through a strangely off-kilter Deep South setting. The game looks absolutely stunning, and quite unlike anything else available today on Xbox Series X. You'll be able to wield a series of magical powers – weaving them together to explore the Unreal Engine 5-rendered environments, and to tackle monstrous enemies.
The swamplands are inhabited with monster Kings, powerful foes so notorious that they have their own theme songs. It also appears that Hazel will have melee weapons at her disposal, such as a set of silver blades which can be used to hack and slash foes between carefully-timed evades. Hazel has a finisher move which can "unravel" a brute after whittling down its health bar. All of this action reinforces the idea that Hazel is pulling at magical threads, drawing her magical abilities from the world she inhabits – and directly impacting it with her every action.
South of Midnight story
South of Midnight's story sees protagonist Hazel searching for her mother, meeting all manner of folklore creatures come to life as she navigates the mysterious American South. The first trailer introduces us to a figure known as Shakin' Bones strumming away at a guitar. Hazel then asks about a big creature, before using magic. Following the trailer reveal, Xbox published an interview with creative director David Sears and narrative producer and creative specialist James Lewis, which shed more light on the story of South of Midnight. Hazel, who is the heroine of the adventure, is said to be on a quest to repair a broken world by putting a stop to supernatural creatures who are all based on real-life folklore.
South of Midnight protagonist
In South of Midnight, we'll be following the story of Hazel, who's said to have taken on the role of protector. Described as "outwardly confident and wisecracking", Hazel has a complex relationship with her mother and has grown up experiencing multiple failures and societal injustice. "To tell the story of a Black woman in this setting creates another level of complexity that the team had to meet with curiosity and empathy," Lewis says in the Xbox interview. "The approach to this had to start by having just proper representation on the team, ensuring that we have Black women and women of colour on our narrative team is key for understanding and writing Hazel's voice."
For Sears, Hazel stands out because she has "many of the same issues as real people have", which is "refreshing as she's trying to learn to be a hero". As Sears adds, the story follows her as she finds her footing and heads out into the world to help make it "a better place".
South of Midnight setting
Set in a town called Prospero and based on the American South and all its colorful folklore, South of the Midnight is inspired by different genres of literature including Southern Gothic and Magic realism. With the adventure said to take place in rural areas, the world setting aims to be an honest reflection of the real-life region, with a decent sprinkle of magic to bring its storybook ambience to life.
South of Midnight magic
As we saw in the trailer, South of Midnight will be an adventure involving magic and fantastical elements. Hazel, for example, is a Weaver who uses what's known as Weaving magic. Used for both combat and traversal, Weavers are said to be figures who can "see how the universe is constructed". Her conversations with Catfish in the gameplay trailer clues us in to one narrative thread: Hazel's hunt for her lost mother, affectionately named Ma. We expect there's more to the story than just this, or at the very least, that Hazel will run into much more than she bargained for on this noble quest to free her mother and banish the evil seeping through Prospero.
