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South of Midnight released on Game Pass on April 8, 2025, at 9:00 A.M. Pacific Time, the same day it launched for everyone else. Subscribers who bought the Premium Upgrade could start up to five days earlier, on April 3, 2025, at the same 9:00 A.M. PT time.
Release date and time
Xbox announced the game as a day-one Game Pass title, and the developer’s official FAQ confirms that Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass were the subscription tiers included at launch. The key dates are below.
| Milestone | Date | Time (Pacific) | Who it applied to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release announcement | January 23, 2025 | Not stated in the announcement | Public announcement from Xbox Wire |
| Early access | April 3, 2025 | 9:00 A.M. PT | Premium Edition owners, and Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscribers who bought the Premium Upgrade |
| Standard release | April 8, 2025 | 9:00 A.M. PT | All players, including Game Pass subscribers on the included tiers |
For readers outside the Pacific zone, 9:00 A.M. PT on April 8, 2025 corresponds to 12:00 P.M. Eastern and 5:00 P.M. in the UK, because daylight saving time was in effect in both regions that month.
Early access: who could play on April 3
The early-access window was not open to every Game Pass member. Access depended on how the player got into the game.
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![South of Midnight: Premium Edition - Xbox Series X|S [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51lVJzCyLYL._SL160_.jpg)
- Immerse yourself in the macabre world of South of Midnight with the Premium Edition, featuring the full game and digital access (English only) to the Artbook, Music Video: Songs&Tales, and Documentary: Weaving Hazel’s Journey – Director’s Cut."
- From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third-person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South.
- As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world.
- When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world of memory-made-real and must embark on a journey to rescue her mother and safeguard her hometown.
- Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them.
- Premium Edition buyers received early access as part of the edition they purchased.
- Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers had to buy the Premium Upgrade add-on to play early. Without it, they waited until the April 8 standard release.
Subscribers on other tiers were not part of the early-access arrangement described in the official materials.
Platforms and streaming at launch
The January 2025 announcement said the game would launch on Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app for Windows PC, Steam, and cloud. The official FAQ lists Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam as platforms, and names three cloud services for streaming: Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce NOW, and Boosteroid.
Rank #2
![South of Midnight: Standard Edition - Xbox Series X|S [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ymOISMCrL._SL160_.jpg)
- From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third-person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South.
- As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world.
- When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world of memory-made-real and must embark on a journey to rescue her mother and safeguard her hometown.
- Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them.
- Discover the lush, decayed county of Prospero and its locals. Experience a crafted visual style, touching storytelling, and immersive music inspired by the complex and rich history of the South.
The Game Pass link was specific to Xbox’s own subscription tiers. Access through third-party cloud services depended on those services’ own arrangements, which the developer’s FAQ lists without describing terms.
Can you play it on Game Pass now?
The release date has long passed, so the practical question is whether the game is still available through a subscription today. The US Microsoft Store listing for South of Midnight, checked in October 2026, shows that cloud play is included with Game Pass Premium and Game Pass Ultimate. It says that streaming with Game Pass Essential requires buying the game.
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- Join the newest bloom in the age old battle between plants and zombies with 20 fully customizable classes at launch, including a team play class for each faction
- The tension across the terra has expanded with three free roam regions and one PvE mode that extend beyond the town of Neighborville
- Join forces with other players to experience split screen couch co-op in every mode
Store listings change, and this is a single-country snapshot. Before you rely on it, check the following:
- Your region. The listing describes the US Xbox Store only. Catalog inclusion can differ elsewhere.
- Your current plan. Premium, Ultimate, and Essential have different entitlements for cloud play, and the listing is not a guarantee of the same installation rights on every plan.
- The store page itself. Open the South of Midnight page in the Microsoft Store or Xbox app for your region and read the Game Pass or cloud notice there.
What the official sources do not establish
The launch date, early-access rules, and included tiers at release are documented in the January 2025 Xbox Wire announcement and the developer’s FAQ. Those are fixed historical facts. Current subscription inclusion is not fixed, and the sources reviewed do not establish whether the game will remain in any Game Pass tier in the future.
Rank #4
- 16 family favorite arcade like mini-games including Darts, Hoop Shoot, Rootbeer Tapper, Table Hockey and more
- Utilizes the Microsoft Kinect sensor (sold separately and required for play) which uses the natural movements of your body as the controller
- Import your Xbox LIVE avatar for use in-game to represent you
- Multiplayer support including up to 16 players in Tournament Mode locally and online head-to-head play for 2 to 4 players
- Publish Xbox Achievements on your Facebook Wall and automatically notify Facebook friends when you are playing online so they can join the party
If you are deciding whether to buy the game or wait for a subscription, the store listing for your region is the most reliable present-day check.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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