One of the biggest critiques of theXboxbrand, particularly during theXbox Series X|Sera, is the lack of key exclusives.Halo Infinitewas thought to be the start of a new era of Xbox gaming. While it was an enjoyable Halo experience, it failed to meet expectations.
The Xbox brand made several major announcements at its E3 showcase in 2021. New game announcements includedRedfallfrom Arkane Studios,The Outer Worlds 2fromObsidian Entertainment, andForza Horizon 5. We also learned the release dates for high-profile first-party games likeStarfieldandPsychonauts 2.
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One of the games from the 2021 Xbox and Bethesda E3 Showcase has been missing in action since its announcement. Many have wondered if the game was quietly canceled or in development trouble, which wouldn’t be a shock given the development background of the Perfect Dark reboot.
However, a new post from Avalanche Studios proves that this Xbox exclusive is still in development.
Avalanche Studios is Hiring Developers for Their Xbox Exclusive Co-Op Shooter Contraband
Described as a “co-op smuggler’s paradise set in the fictional world of 1970s Bayan,” we haven’t heard much of Contraband since its official announcement in 2021.
While the philosophy concerningXbox exclusiveshas changed dramatically over the past few years, there’s still a lot of anticipation surrounding the game, given the developer.
Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Avalanche Studios is best known for their work on Just Cause 3, Mad Max, and Rage 2. Given their background and the style of these games, the idea of a co-op shooter from Avalanche seemed like a potential hit for the Xbox brand. Sadly, for whatever reason, we haven’t heard much from the game since, which makes the recent job posting so encouraging.
“Are you ready to power the next bigAAA title?” thejob listing reads. “We’re looking for a Senior DevOps Engineer to join our Contraband team! “If you’re fluent in scripting languages, know Jenkins, Perforce, Azure DevOps, and Sentry like the palm of your hand, and love solving complex problems with clean, scalable solutions – we want you on the team.”
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Avalanche currently has 12 openings across all teams, but only three reference Contraband. Hopefully, the new posting will give us a glimpse of what to expect from the upcoming co-op shooter this summer.
