Xbox has shelved development of yet another game, but this one perhaps isn't all that surprising

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The writing may have been on the wall here

Contraband logo
(Image credit: Microsoft)
  • Avalanche Studios' Contraband is seemingly no more
  • The game only ever received one public-facing CG trailer
  • There has been no news on the game in the four years since its announcement

Xbox Game Studios has canceled Contraband, a game I wouldn't blame you for not remembering, as we only ever saw it once in the form of a CG trailer.

Contraband, being developed by Just Cause and Mad Max's Avalanche Studios, was initially revealed in 2021, accompanied by a trailer that didn't give much away beyond its gritty 1970s setting.

Initially reported by Bloomberg, it seems that Contraband has now been canceled, or has at least had its development halted for the time being. Reporter Jason Schreier states that the project has been canceled "after four years of radio silence."

Avalanche Studios followed up with confirmation on its own website, saying: "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."

A cancellation at this point may not be all that surprising for Contraband, but regardless, it's not a good look for Xbox. The company recently canceled two high-profile games in Rare's Everwild and The Initiative's Perfect Dark reboot. That's in conjunction with another recent round of mass layoffs, where thousands of employees across several studios were let go.

Back in July, Xbox boss Phil Spencer described the actions taken as "tough decisions," claiming Xbox's "platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger" despite the seeming instability of the Xbox Game Studios umbrella.

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Rhys Wood
Rhys Wood
Hardware Editor

Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for over four years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

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