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Microsoft Halts Contraband Amid Gaming Division Layoffs

8/7/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Microsoft has put the brakes on the highly anticipated open-world co-op game Contraband, developed by Avalanche Studios, after five years of development. This pause comes on the heels of major layoffs in Microsoft's gaming division, which also saw the cancellation of two other projects. Despite this setback, Microsoft remains committed to publishing games from a variety of developers.

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Story summary

Microsoft has put the brakes on the highly anticipated open-world co-op game Contraband, developed by Avalanche Studios, after five years of development. This pause comes on the heels of major layoffs in Microsoft's gaming division, which also saw the cancellation of two other projects. Despite this setback, Microsoft remains committed to publishing games from a variety of developers.