Xbox Exclusive Contraband Still Alive After 4 Years!

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Summary

  • A recent job listing has confirmed that Avalanche Studios’ upcoming Xbox console exclusive, Contraband, is still in active development.
  • Contraband was first announced in 2021, but Avalanche has released no new information about the game since then, leading many to believe it was quietly shelved.
  • There is hope that the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase on June 8 might provide more information about Contraband.

Following almost four years since its first unveiling, the anticipated Xbox-exclusive title known as Contraband has recently been updated in development. The prolonged absence of news about Contraband had left some Xbox enthusiasts speculating that the game might have been secretly terminated, but it seems that the secretive exclusive is still under active production.

During Microsoft’s E3 presentation in June 2021, the developers of the game “Just Cause”, Avalanche Studios, collaborated with Xbox to unveil “Contraband”, a cooperative smuggling game set in the fictional 1970s South America-inspired world of Bayan, for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Since then, however, Avalanche Studios has been quiet about “Contraband”, and information on the game has become scarce. No trailers or images of “Contraband” have been shared since its announcement, fueling rumors that the project might have been put on hold or is stuck in developmental uncertainty.

It’s great news that the job listing from Avalanche has verified that the project “Contraband” is actively being developed. The studio is currently seeking a Senior DevOps Engineer for the “Contraband team,” suggesting that work on

Contraband is Still in Development, But its Next Appearance Remains a Mystery

Regarding the game, not much has been disclosed yet. Nicknamed a “cooperative smuggler’s utopia,” Contraband is expected to offer an immersive open-world experience with a strong focus on collaboration and heist-style gameplay. This is said to be Avalanche Studios’ most ambitious and visually stunning game to date, hinting that vehicular combat could play a significant role in the gameplay. However, whether the extended development period results from this grand ambition or internal complexities is still uncertain at present.

It’s worth noting that Microsoft has announced an Xbox Games Showcase scheduled for June 8. Fans are hopeful that a game called Contraband could potentially make its return at this event, although it wasn’t mentioned in recent rumors about games slated for the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase, which include Hollow Knight: Silksong, Gears of War Collection, Minecraft Dungeons 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, and a remake of Persona 4. The recent minor update on Contraband’s development offers a glimmer of hope that Avalanche might soon reveal their work on the long-anticipated game, but for now, we’ll have to wait and see.

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2025-04-14 21:13