Contraband – a game under development by Avalanche Studios (Just Cause) – has been suddenly cancelled by Microsoft, four years on from its public debut, as reported first by Jason Schreier at Bloomberg.
The game was revealed in June 2021 during the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, but little to nothing of the co-op smuggling title has been seen since.
Avalanche Studios released a statement in response to the news breaking, posting on its website: “Over the past several years, Avalanche Studios 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.”
Contraband – Official Reveal Trailer 4K | E3 2021
This cancellation comes following a string of other game and staff cuts across Microsoft’s collection of worldwide studios in June. Following these cuts, Microsoft’s CEO stated that “Microsoft is thriving” as the company emphasised its focus on AI.
Back in 2024, over 100 developers at Avalanche Studios unionised. At this time, no layoffs have been announced as part of the cancellation of Contraband.