Microsoft Has Ended 'active Development' On Contraband

The upheaval continues for gaming astatine Microsoft. The latest unfortunate appears to beryllium Contraband, a planned merchandise from Avalanche Studios pinch Xbox Game Studios arsenic publisher. The co-op open-world crippled from nan workplace down nan entertaining Just Cause bid was teased successful a brief, mostly atmospheric trailer astatine E3 2021. But very small had been heard since astir nan project, and it seems nan axe is presently hanging beautiful precariously supra Contraband.

"Active improvement has now stopped while we measure nan project's future," Avalanche said successful a post connected its website. "We're thankful for nan excitement we've seen from nan organization since we announced and will springiness an update connected what's adjacent arsenic soon arsenic we can."

Microsoft announced successful May that it would cut 7,000 jobs, aliases astir 3 percent of its world workforce. That news was followed by different trim of 9,000 positions later successful nan summer. Gaming has been deed difficult by these changes, pinch respective studios and planned projects shuttering arsenic Microsoft consolidates. Here's nan rundown of different projects that person been reported to person ended truthful acold nether Microsoft's auspices:

• Perfect Dark reboot from The Initiative

• Warcraft Rumble from Blizzard Entertainment

• An unnamed FPS from Romero Games

Several of nan aforementioned studios, and galore others nether nan Xbox umbrella, person besides been deed by nan layoffs. Some, for illustration The Initiative, person been wholly unopen down.