Compulsion Games has made a request for partner studios to work with, after leaving Xbox.
Earlier this month Xbox announced plans to cut thousands of jobs as part of what CEO Asha Sharma called “the most significant restructure in Xbox history”.
Compulsion – which was acquired by Xbox in 2018 – was one of the studios affected by this major ‘reset’, but rather than being shut down entirely the studio instead successfully negotiated a deal to leave Xbox and return to being an independent developer.
The deal also enabled the studio to retain the rights to its previous IPs – Contrast, We Happy Few and South of Midnight – the latter of which won a number of awards, including Games for Impact at The Game Awards 2025, Outstanding Achievement in Animation at the D.I.C.E. Awards and New Intellectual Property at the BAFTA Game Awards.
Now the developer has posted a message on its LinkedIn page reaching out to other studios, offering collaborative work on any projects they may need a partner for.
“With Compulsion Games returning to its roots as an independent developer, we are expanding opportunities to collaborate with studios across the games and entertainment industry,” the statement reads.
“We invite partners to leverage the talent and creativity of the award-winning team behind South of Midnight, a game that was honoured with a BAFTA Award, a Peabody Award, seven Canadian Game Awards, and recognized on multiple ‘Best Games of 2025’ lists.
“With deep experience in creating acclaimed original IP, we bring our artistry, technical expertise and collaborative approach to every project. We are excited to support the development of memorable experiences that engage and entertain players around the world.”
Last week Compulsion acknowledged Xbox for agreeing a deal to let it go independent again, saying it was “excited to continue building the distinctive games that define Compulsion while taking the next steps in our journey”.
It added: “We care about the craft of making games, the stories we tell, the players who experience them, and the assembled creators who put their heart and soul into doing something different.
“Today, we’re sharing that Compulsion Games will return to independent management following our time as part of Xbox. As part of this transition, we will retain the rights to Contrast, We Happy Few, and our award-winning South of Midnight.
“We’re grateful for the years we spent with Xbox, for the support they provided our team, and for the opportunity to bring these games to players around the world. As an independent studio, we’re excited to continue building the distinctive games that define Compulsion while taking the next steps in our journey.”
