According to IGN, Compulsion Games has just announced that its action-adventure game South of Midnight is coming to PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch 2. The multiplatform release is scheduled for the spring of 2026, which would be roughly one year after the game’s initial launch on Xbox and PC on April 8, 2025. The news broke via the studio’s own social media channels just before The Game Awards. This move places the title alongside other former Xbox exclusives like Sea of Thieves and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle that have expanded to rival platforms. The game itself, which is steeped in American Southern folklore, received an 8/10 score from IGN’s reviewer.
The Xbox Multiplatform Trajectory
So here’s the thing: this isn’t a surprise anymore, is it? It’s just the new normal. Microsoft’s strategy of releasing first-party titles on PlayStation and Nintendo hardware after a period of exclusivity is now a well-established pattern. We’ve seen it with smaller titles like Pentiment, live-service games like Sea of Thieves, and now with what seems like most of their upcoming slate. The announcement trailer for the PS5 version and the Switch 2 confirmation are just the latest pieces of evidence.
Why This Makes Sense For Compulsion
Look, for a studio like Compulsion Games, this is basically a win-win. Their previous game, We Happy Few, was a multiplatform release from the start. Having South of Midnight locked to the Xbox ecosystem for a year gives Microsoft’s platform a selling point, but then opening it up massively expands the potential audience. This is a narrative-driven, single-player game with a very distinct cultural vibe—exactly the kind of title that can find a passionate fanbase on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. More players means a better chance for the studio to grow and make more games. Can’t argue with that logic.
What It Means For Gamers
And that’s the real takeaway, I think. The old console war trenches are getting filled in, whether the hardcore fans like it or not. For players, it’s great news. You no longer have to buy a specific $500 box to play a specific game from a major publisher. You just need to be a little patient. If you’re on PlayStation or are planning to pick up a Switch 2, a critically well-received game like South of Midnight will be waiting for you in 2026. The exclusivity period becomes more of a timed “early access” for one platform. Seems like the industry is slowly, awkwardly, moving towards a more hardware-agnostic future, at least for some types of games.
