Microsoft says that it has stopped growth on Contraband, the co-op action-adventure open-world sport in growth at Avalanche Studios Group — the studio behind the Simply Trigger sport collection. Whereas not explicitly calling it a cancellation, the destiny of Contraband sounds just like lately scrapped, long-in-development initiatives like Uncommon’s Everwild and The Initiative’s Good Darkish.
Contraband was first revealed at E3 2021. Introduced with a pre-rendered trailer, Contraband was pitched as a “co-op smuggler’s paradise set within the fictional world of Nineteen Seventies Bayan, dropped at you by Avalanche Studios and Xbox Recreation Studios.” The sport was stated to be an Xbox console unique with a launch deliberate for PC. Contraband didn’t have an introduced launch date, and little has been heard about it over the previous 4 years.
In an announcement on Avalanche’s web site, the studio stated, “Over the previous a number of years, Avalanche Studios Group and Xbox Recreation Studios Publishing have collaborated on Contraband. Energetic growth has now stopped whereas we consider the challenge’s future. We’re grateful for the joy we have seen from the group since we introduced and can give an replace on what’s subsequent as quickly as we are able to.” Bloomberg was first to report the information of Contraband‘s growth.
Microsoft slashed practically 9,000 jobs in July as a part of a brand new spherical of cuts on the firm. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer stated in a notice to staff on the time that the Xbox division was being impacted “to place Gaming for enduring success and permit us to give attention to strategic progress areas, we’ll finish or lower work in sure areas of the enterprise and comply with Microsoft’s lead in eradicating layers of administration to extend agility and effectiveness.”