Overview

• Avalanche Studios confirms that “active development has now stopped” on Contraband while its future is evaluated.
• The 1970s co-op open-world title by Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios debuted at E3 2021 but has seen no substantive updates since its cinematic reveal.
• The development halt follows Microsoft’s recent mass layoffs in the Xbox division and the shelving of several first- and third-party projects.
• Xbox aims to allocate up to $80 billion in AI spending this fiscal year, reshaping priorities across its gaming studios.
• A Microsoft spokesperson indicates that Hideo Kojima’s OD collaboration remains in active development despite broader cutbacks.