Compulsion's David Sears questions South of Midnight funding model
The creative director said in a MinnMax interview that he probably would not have funded South of Midnight himself and called the model unsustainable.
David Sears, creative director at Compulsion Games, said he probably would not have funded South of Midnight himself, and described the funding model behind the game as unsustainable in hindsight. He made the remarks in an interview with Ben Hanson of MinnMax, as reported by Kotaku.
Sears said he wanted to make South of Midnight, but that he now views the way it was financed as unsustainable.
In the same interview, Sears said the Microsoft of today is more humane than the company he knew in the 1990s, pointing to its willingness to let studios spin off rather than shut them down.
Compulsion Games was spun out from Microsoft as part of Xbox's recent restructuring, taking its IP and an unknown amount of financial runway with it. The studio is currently searching for collaborative work with other partners.
Older ties to Xbox
Microsoft acquired Compulsion Games just ahead of the release of We Happy Few in 2018, the year the studio made that game with Gearbox Publishing. South of Midnight launched in 2025 and won numerous awards, including a BAFTA.
Quick answers
What did David Sears say about South of Midnight's funding?
He said he probably would not have funded the game himself and viewed the funding model as unsustainable in hindsight.
Where did Sears make the comments?
In an interview with Ben Hanson of MinnMax, as reported by Kotaku.
What is Compulsion Games doing now?
The studio was spun out from Microsoft in Xbox's recent restructuring and is searching for collaborative work with other partners.