US EditionXbox 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.
Insights by Ground AI
Does this summary seem wrong?
36 Articles
36 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources36
Leaning Left5Leaning Right0Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution83% Left
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources lean Left
83% Left
L 83%
C 17%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
