“It almost feels like a teaser for a sequel”: South Of Midnight 2023 teaser seemingly hides a secret

South of Midnight created waves in the gaming community for its unique art style and storytelling, while also being a celebration of Black heritage and Southern culture. The title, set in the fictional Deep South, reimagined folklore and tales and brought them to life. Based on Hazel's outfits alone, it's clear that a lot of love and effort were poured into the project, and it would appear that we may be getting a sequel.

Oddly enough, hints were seemingly dropped in 2023 in the "South of Midnight - Announce Trailer". Of course, no one realized back then, but now, having completed the game, players have noticed something odd about the dialogue exchange between Hazel and Shakin' Bones. This is what one eagle-eyed fan had to say:

"Watching the 2023 announce trailer, having finished the game, and it feels like it takes place after the game? It almost feels like a teaser for a sequel."

Before we get into the possibilities, keep an open mind regarding a sequel for South of Midnight. At times, during development, scripts and entire storylines are often rewritten to better suit the narrative. The same could have happened in this case. That said, here is why fans feel that the Announce Trailer seems to take place after the storyline ends.

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Is South of Midnight getting a sequel, or was the storyline rewritten?

Watching the 2023 announce trailer having finished the game and it feels like it takes place after the game? byu/SonicTheWedgehog inSouthOfMidnight

To add context, in the Announce Trailer, we see Hazel calmly approach Shakin' Bones (as he strums his guitar playing the blues). She wanted information about the Altamaha-ha, and opened the conversation by saying:

"Shakin' Bones. Been a while. So, you remember that favor you owe me? I'm looking for a creature. Huge, sneaky? Teeth like knives?"

This is quite the opposite of what is seen in-game, as Shakin' Bones was only introduced to Hazel (and players alike) towards the end of Chapter 11: Muddy Waters. The encounter with the Altamaha-ha (the creature that Hazel was looking for) is also long over before she finally meets Shakin' Bones.

Hazel seems to know Shakin' Bones in the announcement trailer (Image via Xbox Game Studios)

For these reasons, it is being widely speculated that the contents of the trailer showcase events after the end of South of Midnight's storyline. However, this would be a direct conflict of logic, as the Altamaha-ha in-game was dealt with before the storyline ends.

Thus, to see the creature in the trailer and perceive it as being shown after the storyline ends (based on Hazel's interaction with Shakin' Boners) would be wrong. Given these facts, it would appear that parts of the storyline and narrative were changed during development.

This is what a fan had to say about the same:

Comment byu/SonicTheWedgehog from discussion inSouthOfMidnight

Of course, we can all agree that a sequel would have been great, but it's far too soon to think about that notion. The game hasn't even been out there for a month. No doubt, Steam reviews are solid (currently standing at 93%), but it doesn't exactly warrant a sequel. Many great video games have been "one-and-done", and perhaps South of Midnight could fall into the same category.

Time could prove this statement wrong, but for the time being, it can be said with certainty that there's no sequel in the works. As things stand, Hazel and Shakin' Bones are strangers in the franchise, not even having exchanged a word during the ferry crossing to Kooshma's domain.

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