Compulsion Games officially separates from Xbox – "The team told me we would rather eat rocks and drink gasoline than be split up" - GamesIndustry.biz

Studio regains ownership of its IP and publishing rights

Compulsion Games is now independent from Xbox, with management acquiring both the studio and its staff.

"I did this deal for the team first and foremost," CEO Guillaume Provost told GamesBeat. "I asked the team, 'Do you want to stay together?' The team told me we would rather eat rocks and drink gasoline than be split up."

Provost declined to disclose the current staff count. GamesBeat reports that some employees left after Provost warned of a possible closure, before Xbox announced it would spin out the studio, as the platform holder laid off 20% of staff.

"Everything is relative," said Provost. "Compared to all of us losing our jobs on July 6, this is a pretty good deal. I would say the exit was gracious on Microsoft's part."

"The moments like these are for change and opportunity. Starting ventures when times are tough means the companies start to build the right bones. They understand the need for being thrifty and lean because of the economic context. I think we’ll have really solid bones. This is a similar climate to when I started my studio originally."

"We're excited to gain back the rights of our intellectual properties and to keep making interesting, weird stories and weird worlds."

Compulsion Games has regained ownership of its IP, which includes 2013's Contrast, 2018's We Happy Few, and 2025's South of Midnight.

"The publishing rights are [also] transferring back to Compulsion," Provost clarified. "It's just that there's a transition period where that happens with different platform holders. Buying the games is supporting the studio as a result of that change."

According to GamesBeat, Provost has been meeting with "various parties to secure a stable future" for the studio and is "exploring different alternatives for permanent funding."

Compulsion Games aims to become self-sustaining. Provost is currently "gathering information and exploring partnerships" and stated the studio is open to collaborating with other developers and IP holders.

"I just want to make sure that we're setting the team up for success. We're going to take things slow. We're going to meet with everyone. I'm fairly confident we can get to that place if the team's heart and priorities are aligned with running a profitable business."