Contraband is an Xbox Exclusive Due to “the Grandness of the Project” – Avalanche

"It's not a concept we would pitch to every publisher," says CEO Pim Holfve about the upcoming co-op open world game.

Posted By | On 07th, Jul. 2021

contraband

Microsoft’s got a whole slate of major games coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC in the next couple of years, and that, of course, is something that’s been enabled by the sheer number of big first party studios they have at their disposal. But it’s not just internal developers who’re making first party games- Microsoft has also partnered with Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios to publish the co-op open world smuggling action-adventure game Contrabandand though there’s not much we know about the game right now, the developers saying it’s got some pretty grand ambitions.

Speaking with GamesIndustry, Avalanche CEO Pim Holfve said that the “grandness” of Contraband as a game is a big reason for why the developer has partnered with Xbox on this project, on top of the great relationship they have with the company.

“We’ve had a great relationship with Microsoft, and working with a first party has been intriguing as well, seeing what that actually means in terms of support and getting closer to the hardware,” said Holfve. “It’s a new type of partnership for us. We’ve had fantastic partnerships with Square Enix, Bethesda and Warner Bros, but those are not the same as first-party.”

“[It] made a lot of sense to work with Xbox on this because of the grandness of [the project],” he added. “It’s not a concept we would pitch to every publisher.”

Contraband is currently in development for Xbox Series X/S and PC. The game doesn’t yet have a release date.

Contraband likely isn’t the only externally developed first party game coming to Xbox. Leaks have suggested that Microsoft is also working with IO Interactive on an open world fantasy RPG, and with Hideo Kojima on a new cloud-based game.


Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Share Your Thoughts Below  (Always follow our comments policy!)



Keep On Reading!

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is UK’s Biggest Game Launch of 2024 So Far

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is UK’s Biggest Game Launch of 2024 So Far

Capcom's open world action RPG has got off to an impressive start in the region, outdoing Final Fantasy 7 Rebi...

Grand Theft Auto 6 Delay Reports Are “Overblown”, it’s Claimed

Grand Theft Auto 6 Delay Reports Are “Overblown”, it’s Claimed

Journalist Jason Schreier says there's "no indication that anything significant has changed" where the game's ...

Capcom Wants to Know if You Want Dragon’s Dogma 2 DLC

Capcom Wants to Know if You Want Dragon’s Dogma 2 DLC

In a recently sent out Capcom survey, one of several questions asks if you'd be interested in more Dragon's Do...

15 Things You Shouldn’t Avoid in Dragon’s Dogma 2

15 Things You Shouldn’t Avoid in Dragon’s Dogma 2

Make life in Dragon's Dogma 2's harsh world easier for yourself by paying attention to these 15 things.

12 Things to Do in Dragon’s Dogma 2 After Completing the Game

12 Things to Do in Dragon’s Dogma 2 After Completing the Game

There's plenty of reasons to keep playing even after you've hit the credits in Dragon's Dogma 2.

Tekken 8 Adds Eddy Gordo on April 4

Tekken 8 Adds Eddy Gordo on April 4

Those who own the Playable Character Year 1 Pass will be able to start playing as Eddy ahead of his global rel...