Summary<\/h3>\n\n- South of Midnight launches on April 8, or play now with the Premium Edition<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- The game arrives for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox app for Windows PC, Steam, cloud, and will be available day one with Game Pass. And with Xbox Play Anywhere, play on Xbox consoles, Windows PC, and cloud with full cross-entitlements and cross-saves.<\/li>\n
- To celebrate release, we\u2019ve put together 6 tips to help you in both exploration and combat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
South of Midnight <\/em>invites you into a dark, fantastical world drawn from tales of the American South \u2013 and while this might look like a fairytale, both the stories it tells and the challenges it poses are far from simplistic.<\/p>\nTelling the tale of Hazel, who gains the magical power of Weaving after her mother is swept away by a supernatural flood, you\u2019ll need to cross a warped take on the South in your hunt to find her mother, and answers to what exactly is going on. Along the way, you\u2019ll battle Haints \u2013 corrupted enemies borne from the sorrow of the world \u2013 and cure the wounds of Mythical Creatures, the subjects of real-life folktales brought to life by developer Compulsion Games.<\/p>\n
Premium Edition owners can play from today (ahead of an April 8 release date for all players), and to celebrate we\u2019ve put together some tips that cover both exploration and combat, which will help you prepare for this very unexpected journey:<\/p>\n
Look Everywhere<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"South](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Look-Everywhere-a892a00f5030fa779dfd.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nNavigating each of South of Midnight<\/em>\u2019s chapters could<\/em> be as simple as following your Guiding Strand \u2013 a feature that sees magical threads guide you to your next goal. But that\u2019s far from all there is to discover. Each location is stuffed with hidden areas \u2013 some require platforming to reach, others need you to use your spells, while others will lead you into battles you might never have otherwise had. All of them will require a keen eye to find.<\/p>\nYour rewards for doing this usually come in the form of Floofs \u2013 the game\u2019s upgrade currency \u2013 and we hugely recommend you take the time to look for them. With just a bit of concerted exploration, you can add upgrades to your skill tree (more on those later) much <\/em>faster than by simply running from one objective to the next.<\/p>\nEven better, you may also find Life Filaments as you go. Most chapters contain one of these \u2013 usually in its most hidden side area \u2013 and collecting three offers a permanent upgrade to your health bar.<\/p>\n
Expand These Stories<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"South](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Expand-These-Stories-0db88edbcb7a5c1c8871.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nSouth of Midnight <\/em>is all about stories \u2013 from the tale of Hazel\u2019s search to find her mother, to the tragic backstories of the Mythical Creatures you\u2019ll find along the way. But if you want to dig really deep, make sure to search each chapter for items, notes, and more. You\u2019ll see these marked by small circles as you approach, often in out-of-the-way locations.<\/p>\nFar from your regular world-building, each chapter\u2019s hidden notes add even more detail to the characters and stories you\u2019re learning about along the core questline. You may discover hidden motivations for why characters are the way they are, simply because you took the time to read about their lives. It\u2019s an enriching way to add to the wider tale.<\/p>\n
Upgrade Early and Often<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"South](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Upgrade-1ce59afd275a763b179e.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nAs mentioned above, you can speed through the upgrade tree with a bit of exploration \u2013 and when you start hitting harder combat sequences, you\u2019ll thank yourself for doing it. Even on its regular difficulty level, South of Midnight<\/em>\u2019s combat packs a punch, with even the most basic Haint enemies removing whole chunks of your health bar after a single hit \u2013 never mind when you come up against a Mythical Creature. Upgrades are your means of turning the tables.<\/p>\nUpgrades tend to focus more on offering you added perks, rather than simply buffing an ability\u2019s existing stats. When you Unravel a downed enemy to claw back some health, for example, you can add an area of-effect blast to stagger any nearby Haints before you get back into the fray. Adding a quick double-dodge to your repertoire, meanwhile, will come in very <\/em>handy when you start meeting enemies that can quick-fire multiple projectiles. Take the time to explore the skill tree, and prioritize upgrades that look like they\u2019ll solve problems.<\/p>\nUse Dodges as Attack and Defence<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"South](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Dodges-07e17540c43e6a5c5c61.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nHazel doesn\u2019t have the ability to block attacks \u2013 but she more than makes up for that with a powerful bonus to her dodge. Hitting the dodge button will help you escape in any direction (with some invulnerability frames thrown in) \u2013 but hitting a perfectly timed dodge, just before you\u2019re hit, comes with a nasty surprise for whoever was trying to hurt you.<\/p>\n
Perfect Dodges send out a blast of energy, staggering any enemy around you and doing some nice damage, too. It\u2019s worth paying attention to not just what attacks enemies can do, but the time it takes to pull them off \u2013 pretty soon, you can be doing almost as much damage by not<\/em> attacking.<\/p>\nUse Spells as Interrupts<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"South](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Use-Spells-as-Interrupts-8f606e78504ddd44ee73.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nAs we mentioned, getting hit in South of Midnight <\/em>can get very nasty, very quickly \u2013 and while Hazel has that handy dodge, it can sometimes be easier simply to stop an attack in the first place. Against most enemies, throwing out a spell \u2013 whether that\u2019s a Pull, a Push, or a Weave (which incapacitates most Haints) \u2013 will break them out of an attack completely.<\/p>\nWhile it\u2019s tempting to spam your spells as soon as they\u2019ve cooled down, we\u2019d recommend keeping one in reserve as an emergency interrupt \u2013 if you see an enemy winding up during your combo, simply hit them with a spell and keep thwacking.<\/p>\n
Chain Your Spells<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"South](\"https:\/\/pub-f354ec240bea480db7320bd0e29d972e.r2.dev\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Chain-Your-Spells-e4c36a1f3c0a530e3d3d.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nIf you really want to keep an enemy locked down, you can use your full spell repertoire to keep attacks going without interruption. This is particularly useful once you have a few upgrades under your belt.<\/p>\n
For example, you could Pull an enemy towards you, with an added Weave effect (which you can also<\/em> upgrade to have them take more damage while tied up). As soon as they break free, Weave them again with that core spell \u2013 and when they break free again<\/em>, use Push to deal some damage and keep your distance, before charging up your ranged attack to deal the killer blow.<\/p>\nWith a bit of practice, enemies that felt like they took an age of dodging and poking to beat in the early game can begin to go down in a single combo \u2013 it\u2019s extremely satisfying.<\/p>\n
\nSouth of Midnight<\/em><\/a>\u00a0will be available on April 8, 2025, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam and cloud, and arrives on day one with Game Pass. Play from today by purchasing the <\/em>Premium Edition<\/em><\/a>, and get access to digital extras.<\/em><\/p>\n
South of Midnight <\/em>invites you into a dark, fantastical world drawn from tales of the American South \u2013 and while this might look like a fairytale, both the stories it tells and the challenges it poses are far from simplistic.<\/p>\n Telling the tale of Hazel, who gains the magical power of Weaving after her mother is swept away by a supernatural flood, you\u2019ll need to cross a warped take on the South in your hunt to find her mother, and answers to what exactly is going on. Along the way, you\u2019ll battle Haints \u2013 corrupted enemies borne from the sorrow of the world \u2013 and cure the wounds of Mythical Creatures, the subjects of real-life folktales brought to life by developer Compulsion Games.<\/p>\n Premium Edition owners can play from today (ahead of an April 8 release date for all players), and to celebrate we\u2019ve put together some tips that cover both exploration and combat, which will help you prepare for this very unexpected journey:<\/p>\n Navigating each of South of Midnight<\/em>\u2019s chapters could<\/em> be as simple as following your Guiding Strand \u2013 a feature that sees magical threads guide you to your next goal. But that\u2019s far from all there is to discover. Each location is stuffed with hidden areas \u2013 some require platforming to reach, others need you to use your spells, while others will lead you into battles you might never have otherwise had. All of them will require a keen eye to find.<\/p>\n Your rewards for doing this usually come in the form of Floofs \u2013 the game\u2019s upgrade currency \u2013 and we hugely recommend you take the time to look for them. With just a bit of concerted exploration, you can add upgrades to your skill tree (more on those later) much <\/em>faster than by simply running from one objective to the next.<\/p>\n Even better, you may also find Life Filaments as you go. Most chapters contain one of these \u2013 usually in its most hidden side area \u2013 and collecting three offers a permanent upgrade to your health bar.<\/p>\n South of Midnight <\/em>is all about stories \u2013 from the tale of Hazel\u2019s search to find her mother, to the tragic backstories of the Mythical Creatures you\u2019ll find along the way. But if you want to dig really deep, make sure to search each chapter for items, notes, and more. You\u2019ll see these marked by small circles as you approach, often in out-of-the-way locations.<\/p>\n Far from your regular world-building, each chapter\u2019s hidden notes add even more detail to the characters and stories you\u2019re learning about along the core questline. You may discover hidden motivations for why characters are the way they are, simply because you took the time to read about their lives. It\u2019s an enriching way to add to the wider tale.<\/p>\n As mentioned above, you can speed through the upgrade tree with a bit of exploration \u2013 and when you start hitting harder combat sequences, you\u2019ll thank yourself for doing it. Even on its regular difficulty level, South of Midnight<\/em>\u2019s combat packs a punch, with even the most basic Haint enemies removing whole chunks of your health bar after a single hit \u2013 never mind when you come up against a Mythical Creature. Upgrades are your means of turning the tables.<\/p>\n Upgrades tend to focus more on offering you added perks, rather than simply buffing an ability\u2019s existing stats. When you Unravel a downed enemy to claw back some health, for example, you can add an area of-effect blast to stagger any nearby Haints before you get back into the fray. Adding a quick double-dodge to your repertoire, meanwhile, will come in very <\/em>handy when you start meeting enemies that can quick-fire multiple projectiles. Take the time to explore the skill tree, and prioritize upgrades that look like they\u2019ll solve problems.<\/p>\n Hazel doesn\u2019t have the ability to block attacks \u2013 but she more than makes up for that with a powerful bonus to her dodge. Hitting the dodge button will help you escape in any direction (with some invulnerability frames thrown in) \u2013 but hitting a perfectly timed dodge, just before you\u2019re hit, comes with a nasty surprise for whoever was trying to hurt you.<\/p>\n Perfect Dodges send out a blast of energy, staggering any enemy around you and doing some nice damage, too. It\u2019s worth paying attention to not just what attacks enemies can do, but the time it takes to pull them off \u2013 pretty soon, you can be doing almost as much damage by not<\/em> attacking.<\/p>\n As we mentioned, getting hit in South of Midnight <\/em>can get very nasty, very quickly \u2013 and while Hazel has that handy dodge, it can sometimes be easier simply to stop an attack in the first place. Against most enemies, throwing out a spell \u2013 whether that\u2019s a Pull, a Push, or a Weave (which incapacitates most Haints) \u2013 will break them out of an attack completely.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s tempting to spam your spells as soon as they\u2019ve cooled down, we\u2019d recommend keeping one in reserve as an emergency interrupt \u2013 if you see an enemy winding up during your combo, simply hit them with a spell and keep thwacking.<\/p>\n If you really want to keep an enemy locked down, you can use your full spell repertoire to keep attacks going without interruption. This is particularly useful once you have a few upgrades under your belt.<\/p>\n For example, you could Pull an enemy towards you, with an added Weave effect (which you can also<\/em> upgrade to have them take more damage while tied up). As soon as they break free, Weave them again with that core spell \u2013 and when they break free again<\/em>, use Push to deal some damage and keep your distance, before charging up your ranged attack to deal the killer blow.<\/p>\n With a bit of practice, enemies that felt like they took an age of dodging and poking to beat in the early game can begin to go down in a single combo \u2013 it\u2019s extremely satisfying.<\/p>\n South of Midnight<\/em><\/a>\u00a0will be available on April 8, 2025, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam and cloud, and arrives on day one with Game Pass. Play from today by purchasing the <\/em>Premium Edition<\/em><\/a>, and get access to digital extras.<\/em><\/p>\nLook Everywhere<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\nExpand These Stories<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\nUpgrade Early and Often<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\nUse Dodges as Attack and Defence<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\nUse Spells as Interrupts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\nChain Your Spells<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\n
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