Is Asha Sharma's 'reset' already underway?

Image credit: Compulsion Games

At least a dozen people have departed award-winning South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games this week, following reports that Xbox is planning major restructuring that could result in "significant" layoffs and studio closures.

LinkedIn posts by a dozen former Compulsion staff, shared during the past week, highlight a string of departures, with at least one former employee "unexpectedly" finding themselves without a job and now looking for work. These people include:

• Principal level designer Mike Sklavounos, who wrote: "In an unexpected turn of events, I've officially turned on the 'open to work' banner."
• Former principal game designer Thomas de Rego, who wrote: "After five unforgettable years at Compulsion, the time has come to look for a new adventure."
• Game writer and narrative designer Bijan Stephen, who wrote: "After a couple wonderful years at Compulsion Games (Xbox Game Studios), I'm looking for my next opportunity."
• Senior technical artist Marc-André Voyer, who wrote: "After several years at Compulsion Games (Xbox Game Studios) and Unity, I'm looking for my next opportunity as a Senior Tech Artist."
• Senior environment artist Jasjot Singh, who wrote: "After several years at Compulsion Games (Xbox Game Studio) and Blue Isle Studios before that, I am #OpenToWork and actively looking for my next opportunity."
• Technical animator Ines Bouakkaoui, who wrote: "As my time at Compulsion Games is coming to an end, I'm looking for my next opportunity in game development."
• Dialogue designer Sean M., who wrote: "After nearly six wonderful years at Compulsion Games, significant professional growth, and having shipped one of my most creatively satisfying titles in my career, I am now #OpenToWork."

And I count at least five others who don't directly reference leaving Compulsion Games, but who were working there and now state they are open to work.

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It's a big enough list to suggest significant disruption at Compulsion Games, but it's not clear what - if anything - the departures mean more broadly for the studio. Currently, it appears at least some people are actively still employed at Compulsion, based on their LinkedIn profiles. According to The South of Midnight credits 115 internal Compulsion staff worked on the game, and LinkedIn counts 111 people as working there.

Compulsion is the Canadian studio responsible for We Happy Few and more recently, the incredibly stylish and musical Southern American folklore adventure, South of Midnight, which won a Peabody award as well as a BAFTA for best new intellectual property. Microsoft bought Compulsion Games as part of a huge spending spree in 2018, shortly before We Happy Few was released.

Notably, news of the departures at Compulsion follows reports that Microsoft is planning "significant" layoffs across its Xbox gaming division, which could include closures of multiple studios. Compulsion Games was one of the studios earmarked as in danger, as was Psychonauts and Keeper developer Double Fine, and Hellblade studio Ninja Theory.

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