Avalanche Studios’ Cooperative Heist Game ‘Contraband’ Shelved Amidst Xbox Collaboration

Microsoft has ceased active development on “Contraband,” a cooperative open-world heist game being developed in partnership with Avalanche Studios, the studio known for the “Just Cause” franchise. While the future of the project remains uncertain, Avalanche released a statement indicating an evaluation period is underway.

The collaborative effort between Avalanche Studios Group and Xbox Game Studios Publishing spanned several years. The official announcement stated that development has been paused, acknowledging community enthusiasm surrounding the title and promising updates when available. Despite the potential benefits of expanding its reach to PlayStation 5 consoles—given the game’s cooperative nature would have thrived with a larger player pool similar to titles like “Grounded” and “Sea of Thieves”—Microsoft opted not to pursue a simultaneous release.

Interestingly, Xbox’s decision arrives as it prepares for a significant PlayStation 5 launch: a remastered version of “Gears of War,” titled “Reloaded,” is scheduled for August 26th. This release coincides with Sony’s debut of the acclaimed cooperative shooter “Helldivers 2” on the same platform.