The latest Xbox Series X console exclusive from Xbox Game Studios comes with a free download available not to just all Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S users, but Xbox One users as well. And unlike some “free” Xbox offers, this one is not locked behind Xbox Game Pass. For those that missed it, this week Xbox Game Studios released one of its bigger 2025 games, South of Midnight, from developer Compulsion Games, the studio best known for We Happy Few. Unfortunately for Xbox fans looking forward to it, the new game isn’t the best effort out of Xbox Game Studios. More than this though, nobody is playing it, making it the first high profile flop of the year.
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Those that have played the new Xbox game have, in particular, have praised its art direction above all. This, combined with some excellent lighting, makes it a looker. Those that think this will perhaps be excited to know that Compulsion Games and Xbox have released a new and free dynamic background for the game. Unfortunately, it is the box art/key art for the game, which is a bit sterile and boring in comparison to the visuals of the game itself.
Further, like previous dynamic backgrounds from Xbox, you will have to squint to see the dynamic element of the background. In fact, this is one of the most subtle yet in this regard, and at first, and even second, glance you may think it is a static theme. As you can see in the YouTube video below though, the crows in the background have a very subtle movement to them.
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While this background is free and available to all Xbox users, the game itself is not. Whether on Xbox consoles or Steam, South of Midnight costs $40. However, it does come included with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate itself though costs $20 a month as the most expensive tier of Game Pass.
As always, it is unclear if this freebie is a perpetual offer or a limited time offer. That said, every dynamic background released during the Xbox Series X era so far has continued to remain available, suggesting there are permanent free downloads. Microsoft has never offered clarity on this subject though.
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