US Edition
Xbox Stops Development on Contraband, Four Years After Initial E3 Announcement
MICROSOFT GAMING DIVISION, AUG 7 – Microsoft halted development on Contraband after five years amid a major restructuring that included over 9,000 layoffs and cancellations of several high-profile Xbox projects.
- As of August 7, 2025, development on the cooperative game Contraband has been paused by its creators in order to reassess the project's direction and future.
- The decision follows nearly four years of near silence since the game's 2021 announcement at E3 and recent mass layoffs at Microsoft that affected Xbox teams.
- Contraband was a co-op smuggler's paradise set in a fictional 1970s world, planned for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass, and had been in development for over five years.
- A Bloomberg report citing sources described the title as canceled, while Avalanche’s statement stops short of confirming a full cancellation and promises updates soon.
- This pause reflects Microsoft's broader portfolio review amid its $120 billion AI investment and recent multiple game cancellations, suggesting strategic shifts in gaming priorities.
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Total News Sources36
Leaning Left5Leaning Right0Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution83% Left
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources lean Left
83% Left
L 83%
C 17%
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