Latest news with #AvalancheStudios
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Microsoft kills another Xbox exclusive but Hideo Kojima's OD is still alive
Microsoft has confirmed another Xbox exclusive is no longer in active development, but the studio is avoiding the term 'cancelled'. A slew of Xbox layoffs last month led to the cancellation of various games, including Project Dark, Everwild, and the unannounced Blackbird. Those cancellations put a big question mark over the future of other Xbox-published games, and while we still don't have an answer on some of them, like State Of Decay 3, the fate of two other games have now been revealed. Unfortunately, it's bad news for Contraband from Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios, which is no longer in active development. While Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier initially reported that 'Xbox is cancelling Contraband', a subsequent statement from the studio leaves it on a more ambiguous note. 'Over the past several years, Avalanche Studios Group and Xbox Game Studios Publishing have collaborated on Contraband,' a statement on the studio's website reads. 'Active development has now stopped while we evaluate the project's future. 'We're thankful for the excitement we've seen from the community since we announced and we will give an update on what's next as soon as we can.' Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Contraband was revealed in a cinematic trailer in 2021 but nothing has been shown of it since. It was described as a 'co-op smuggler's paradise set in the fictional world 1970s reality', directed by Just Cause 4 writer Omar Shakir. Considering Microsoft hasn't been shy about explicitly cancelling games, it's difficult to gauge whether the vague phrasing means there's a future for Contraband or if it's just an attempt at damage control. Either way, we wouldn't hold out much hope for the game's future. More Trending Things seem more optimistic for Hideo Kojima's Xbox exclusive OD, which is apparently still in development. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the news to Schreier (via Bluesky), but there's still every chance it could be cancelled at a later date. Announced in 2022, OD is a horror game written by Kojima and Get Out director Jordan Peele, starring Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and Udo Kier. A short trailer was released at The Game Awards in 2023 but nothing has been shown since. Microsoft has a number of other games in development, including Gears Of War: E-Day, State Of Decay 3, Fable, Marvel's Blade, Keeper from Double Fine, and The Outer Worlds 2. The latter two are the only ones with specific release dates, set for later this year, but the rest all have ambigious 2026 windows or nothing at all. As for Microsoft's future gaming plans, the company is set to launch its own handheld device, the ROG Xbox Ally, later this year – rumoured to be October 16. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Battlefield 6 open beta review in progress – beautiful destruction MORE: Ninja Gaiden 4 hands-on preview – the return of PlatinumGames MORE: Starfield has been redeemed – by turning it into a huge Star Wars RPG
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Xbox's ‘Contraband' Video Game on Hold After More Than Five Years in Development
Xbox and Avalanche Studios have stopped 'active development' on their upcoming 'Contraband' video game. First announced by Microsoft Gaming in 2021, 'Contraband' is described as 'a co-op smuggler's paradise set in the fictional world of 1970s Bayan.' The title from Avalanche Studios and Xbox Game Studios was planned as an exclusive to Xbox Series S and X consoles, and set for release on Xbox Game Pass, Steam, and Windows 10 PC. More from Variety Xbox Console Sales Drop 22%, Game Pass and First-Party Titles Drive 10% Rise in Overall Microsoft Gaming Revenue Microsoft Abruptly Ceases Digital Movie and TV Sales Xbox Series X/S Deals: The Next-Gen Gaming Consoles Are Discounted for Prime Day Sources tell Variety that 'Contraband' production is on hold while the creative team behind the game figures out next steps for the title, which has been in the works for more than five years, and that no jobs at publisher Xbox are being impacted by the decision to put 'Contraband' development on hold. 'Over the past several years, Avalanche Studios Group and Xbox Game Studios Publishing have collaborated on 'Contraband,'' Avalanche Studios said in a statement titled 'An Update on 'Contraband'' posted to its website Thursday. 'Active development has now stopped while we evaluate the project's future. We're thankful for the excitement we've seen from the community since we announced and will give an update on what's next as soon as we can.' The news that development has been paused on 'Contraband' was first reported by Game File's Stephen Totilo. More to come… Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Microsoft has ended 'active development' on Contraband
The upheaval continues for gaming at Microsoft. The latest victim appears to be Contraband, a planned release from Avalanche Studios with Xbox Game Studios as publisher. The co-op open-world game from the studio behind the entertaining Just Cause series was teased in a brief, mostly atmospheric trailer at E3 2021. But very little had been heard since about the project, and it seems the axe is currently hanging pretty precariously above Contraband. "Active development has now stopped while we evaluate the project's future," Avalanche said in a post on its website. "We're thankful for the excitement we've seen from the community since we announced and will give an update on what's next as soon as we can." Microsoft announced in May that it would cut 7,000 jobs, or about 3 percent of its global workforce. That news was followed by another cut of 9,000 positions later in the summer. Gaming has been hit hard by these changes, with several studios and planned projects shuttering as Microsoft consolidates. Here's the rundown of other projects that have been reported to have ended so far under Microsoft's auspices: Everwild from Rare Perfect Dark reboot from The Initiative Warcraft Rumble from Blizzard Entertainment Blackbird from Zenimax An unnamed FPS from Romero Games Several of the aforementioned studios, and many others under the Xbox umbrella, have also been hit by the layoffs. Some, like The Initiative, have been completely shut down.
Engadget
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Microsoft has ended 'active development' on Contraband
The upheaval continues for gaming at Microsoft. The latest victim appears to be Contraband , a planned release from Avalanche Studios with Xbox Game Studios as publisher. The co-op open-world game from the studio behind the entertaining Just Cause series was teased in a brief, mostly atmospheric trailer at E3 2021. But very little had been heard since about the project, and it seems the axe is currently hanging pretty precariously above Contraband . "Active development has now stopped while we evaluate the project's future," Avalanche said in a post on its website. "We're thankful for the excitement we've seen from the community since we announced and will give an update on what's next as soon as we can." Microsoft announced in May that it would cut 7,000 jobs , or about 3 percent of its global workforce. That news was followed by another cut of 9,000 positions later in the summer. Gaming has been hit hard by these changes, with several studios and planned projects shuttering as Microsoft consolidates. Here's the rundown of other projects that have been reported to have ended so far under Microsoft's auspices: Perfect Dark reboot from The Initiative Warcraft Rumble from Blizzard Entertainment An unnamed FPS from Romero Games Several of the aforementioned studios, and many others under the Xbox umbrella, have also been hit by the layoffs. Some, like The Initiative, have been completely shut down.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Xbox Drops Work on ‘Contraband' Video Game After Four Years
Microsoft Corp. 's Xbox gaming unit is canceling Contraband, a multiplayer video game that was in development for years at the Swedish company Avalanche Studios Group. 'Active development has now stopped while we evaluate the project's future,' Avalanche said Thursday in a statement on its website. 'We're thankful for the excitement we've seen from the community since we announced and will give an update on what's next as soon as we can.'
