Just Cause Dev Shutters UK Studio In Aftermath of Xbox’s Contraband Cancellation

Expert Verified By

Partnership With Xbox Ended Last Month And Led To Layoffs And Studio Closure!

Story Highlight
  • Avalanche Studios, the team behind Just Cause, recently faced a major cancellation with Contraband.
  • The studio’s Liverpool office has been closed following the end of Xbox and Avalanche Studios’ partnership.
  • The team also confirms that offices in Malmo and Stockholm will face layoffs in the wake of recent events.

Avalanche Studios was working on a major Xbox project over the last few years. Unfortunately, Contraband, alongside the likes of Perfect Dark, was recently cancelled by Xbox.

Avalanche Studios faces a difficult situation following this cancellation. Today, the team has confirmed the closure of one major office and various layoffs.

Why it matters: Big studios continue to battle layoffs one after another. Avalanche Studios’ case once again highlights the dire state of the AAA gaming industry at the moment.

 

According to Avalanche Studios, Contraband’s cancellation has forced the team to completely close down its office in Liverpool.

Moreover, studios in Malmo and Stockholm will suffer from layoffs due to this cancellation. Although the exact number of employees impacted remains a mystery, Avalance Studios is set to go through a major restructuring soon.

The team has still promised to support all those impacted by this decision. Moreover, it remains committed to providing excellent games in the future as it continues to navigate this challenging time.

We are proposing to close our Liverpool studio. This will impact all Avalanchers in Liverpool. The changes will also impact other studios.

Just Cause 3
A New Just Cause Game Might Not Be Coming Anytime Soon

The team is best known for its work on games like Just Cause, Rage 2, and theHunter: Call of the Wild. Recent reports already suggested that Just Cause 5 had been scrapped, so the latest news continues this trend for Avalanche Studios.

As unfortunate as this news is, it’s hard to blame Xbox for this particular cancellation. Unlike Perfect Dark, Contraband had next to no substantial showings since its initial reveal. The game was likely going nowhere, resulting in Xbox’s decision to abandon development altogether.

What do you think about the current state of Avalanche Studios? Let’s discuss in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Microsoft Adding Gaming Copilot To Xbox Series S|X As Part of AI Push

Microsoft has confirmed that Gaming Copilot is set to make its official debut on Xbox Series S|X consoles in the near future.

Nvidia Says Its Future GPUs Will Boast 1,000,000x Better Path Tracing Due to AI Advancements

Nvidia says it plans to achieve a 1,000,000x leap in path tracing performance compared to its Pascal GPU, using AI and RTX technologies.

COLORFUL Launches the iGame GeForce RTX 50 Ultra Series with Street-Inspired Design

COLORFUL launches the iGame GeForce RTX 50 Ultra Series featuring hip-hop inspired design, graffiti RGB lighting, and triple-fan cooling.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Creator Applauds The Witcher 4, Calls For AI Adoption

Daniel Vavra applauded The Witcher 4 NVIDIA Mega Geometry demo, but went on to say that CDPR could make a bigger and livelier game with AI.

Crimson Desert Devs Claim Denuvo Won’t Affect Performance Despite Recent Controversy

Crimson Desert developers claim that all benchmarks released were using Denuvo, and it doesn't affect the performance at all.