Back From The Dead? Key Xbox Exclusive Believed to be Cancelled is Still in Development

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During the Xbox Series X|S period, one common criticism leveled at the Xbox brand has been its shortage of significant exclusives. It was anticipated that Halo Infinite would initiate a fresh phase for Xbox gaming; however, despite being an entertaining Halo installment, it fell short of expectations.

2021’s E3 showcase was an exciting event for Xbox fans like me, as the brand unveiled some significant announcements. Among these, I was particularly thrilled about Redfall from Arkane Studios, The Outer Worlds 2 from Obsidian Entertainment, and Forza Horizon 5. Furthermore, we finally got release dates for highly-anticipated first-party games such as Starfield and Psychonauts 2, making the experience even more exhilarating!

Among the games presented during the 2021 Xbox and Bethesda E3 Showcase, one title has yet to make an appearance since its initial announcement, leading some to speculate whether it was secretly scrapped or encountering difficulties in development. Given the history of the Perfect Dark reboot’s development process, such concerns are not entirely unfounded.

However, a new post from Avalanche Studios proves that this Xbox exclusive is still in development.

Avalanche Studios is Hiring Developers for Their Xbox Exclusive Co-Op Shooter Contraband

In the imaginary 1970s world known as Bayan, Contraband has been described as a “cooperative smuggler’s haven.” However, since its unveiling in 2021, there hasn’t been much news about it.

Over the last few years, the approach toward Xbox-exclusive games has undergone significant shifts. Yet, the excitement surrounding this particular game remains high primarily due to the skill and reputation of its developers.

Situated in Stockholm, Sweden, Avalanche Studios is renowned for their productions such as Just Cause 3, Mad Max, and Rage 2. Given their past projects and the distinctive nature of these games, speculation about a cooperative shooter game from Avalanche was intriguing for the Xbox brand. Regrettably, there’s been limited information about the game since then, which makes the recent job advertisement particularly hopeful.

As a seasoned gamer, I can’t help but feel the adrenaline pumping as I read this: “Are you prepared to crank up the power for the next massive AAA game? We’re seeking a Senior DevOps Engineer to join forces with our Contraband team! If your proficiency in scripting languages is top-notch, you’ve got Jenkins, Perforce, Azure DevOps, and Sentry down like second nature, and you thrive on untangling complex challenges with elegant, scalable solutions – then we need you on our side!

At present, there are twelve job vacancies spread across all our teams, yet just three of these mention Contraband. Here’s hoping that the latest job listing sheds some light on the anticipated cooperative shooter game we have planned for the summer season.

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2025-04-14 19:38