Overview

• Avalanche Studios and Xbox Game Studios have confirmed that active development on Contraband has stopped pending a review of the project’s viability.
• First revealed at E3 2021 as a 1970s co-op smuggler’s paradise, Contraband has had no significant updates since its announcement trailer.
• The halt follows Microsoft’s recent gaming restructuring, which included cutting 9,000 jobs and cancelling titles such as Everwild and Perfect Dark.
• OD, the Xbox co-production with Hideo Kojima, remains in development and is unaffected by the Contraband pause.
• Microsoft’s gaming division is refocusing resources on core franchises and AI-driven initiatives, assessing which collaborations to sustain.