As reported by GamesBeat’s Dean Takahashi, Compulsion Games, the developer behind titles such as Contrast, We Happy Few, and South of Midnight, has regained its independence after a management buyout, separating itself from its former parent company, Xbox.
It was reported earlier this year that Compulsion Games, along with other studios, was put in jeopardy when Xbox announced its big reset, which confirmed that the tech giant would reduce its workforce by 3,200 jobs over the next 12 months.
In addition to buying back independence, the now-finalised deal will see Compulsion Games retain its original IP, meaning games like the BAFTA-awarded South of Midnight remain under its full control.
“We’ve completed our separation process to become independent again,” CEO Guillaume Provost told GamesBeat.
“I did this deal for the team first and foremost. I asked the team, ‘Do you want to stay together?’ The team told me we would rather eat rocks and drink gasoline rather than be split up.”
Provost confirmed in the same interview that he’s engaging various parties to secure a stable future for the studio, all while the team continues its work on an in-progress title that began development prior to Xbox’s reset.
“Everything is relative. Compared to all of us losing our jobs on July 6, this is a pretty good deal,” Provost said, reflecting positively on the eventual deal struck with Xbox.
“I would say the exit was gracious on Microsoft’s part.”
