We Happy Few developer Compulsion Games announced South of Midnight's release date in a new trailer during Xbox's January 2025 Developer Direct. South of Midnight launches on April 8, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S and PC via Windows and Steam, though early access for those who buy the deluxe edition on Xbox begins April 3, 2025.
The Developer Direct trailer is the first since South of Midnight's initial reveal in summer 2024, and it highlights the adventure game's American southern folklore inspirations and how Compulsion wove them into more than just its story.
"Wove" is an important verb for South of Midnight. Hazel, a 19-year-old living with her mother, gets swept into a parallel world after a hurricane roars through her home, a world where myths and legends wreak more havoc than any storm could. Hazel finds a giant talking catfish in a tree who tells her she's the recipient of weaving powers, an otherworldly gift that lets her see the threads of fate that tie people and events together and even manipulate them to heal those she comes into contact with.
These weaving powers help Hazel shape the world around her as well. She can conjure objects that help her navigate storm-wrecked swamps and desolate towns, and she wields traditional weaving tools in battle against haints -- ghosts and other figures from southern legends. These range from discontented spirits to larger creatures, such as the massive alligator Two-Toed Tom and Huggin' Molly.
"Inspired by a Southern legend, Huggin' Molly is a monstrous woman-spider," Zaire Lanier, writer and narrative designer at Compulsion, said in an Xbox blog post. "Her dress is a quilt patchwork made from children's clothes and her trademark red yarn that she spins like a web. Folks say Huggin' Molly still ventures out of her mountain lair to snatch random children that wander off from town. But everyone seems to tell a different version of Molly's story."
Hazel's job is finding the truth behind these stories and laying tormented souls to rest. Compulsion said larger battles against haints that control a specific region will feature unique abilities and soundtracks that evolve along with what's happening in the conflict.
South of Midnight will also be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.