Microsoft Pulls the Plug on Xbox Exclusive Contraband After Years in Development
After four years of development, Microsoft has decided to stop work on Contraband, the co-op open-world game from Avalanche Studios Group, known for the Just Cause series. The game was first shown off at E3 2021 with a flashy trailer, but since then, news about the project has been pretty much nonexistent. Now, both Microsoft and Avalanche have confirmed that active development has ended, leaving the future of Contraband uncertain.
- Microsoft stops development on Contraband after four years
- Contraband was a co-op action-adventure game from Avalanche Studios
- The project was first announced at E3 2021 as an Xbox exclusive
- Both companies say they will share updates if anything changes
- Job cuts at Microsoft may have played a role in the decision
Contraband: What Happened?
Contraband was announced as a “co-op smuggler’s paradise set in the fictional world of 1970s Bayan”. It was meant to be an Xbox console exclusive, with a PC release planned as well. However, the game never received an official release date, and after the initial reveal, things went quiet.
Official Statements
In a recent statement on Avalanche’s website, the studio said, “Over the past several years, Avalanche Studios Group and Xbox Game Studios Publishing have collaborated on Contraband. Active development has now stopped while we evaluate the project’s future. We’re thankful for the excitement we’ve seen from the community since we announced and will give an update on what’s next as soon as we can.”
The news was first reported by Bloomberg. While Microsoft hasn’t officially called this a cancellation, the situation sounds very similar to other long-in-development projects that have been shelved, like Rare’s Everwild and The Initiative’s Perfect Dark.
What’s Going On at Microsoft?
It’s worth noting that Microsoft recently laid off nearly 9,000 employees in July. According to Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, the company is “to position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft’s lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness.”
What’s Next?
For now, the future of Contraband is up in the air. Avalanche and Xbox say they’ll share more updates if anything changes, but for now, it’s safe to say that Contraband won’t be coming out anytime soon.
