What happened to Contraband? Honestly, it's a great question – and one that I sadly do not have the answer to. The game was unveiled back in 2021, the latest adventure from Just Cause, Mad Max, and Rage 2 developer Avalanche Studios. A few years later, and there's exceptionally little new information out there right now.
Still, given the history of Avalanche Studios, Contraband remains one of GamesRadar's most anticipated upcoming Xbox Series X games. The development team's collaboration with the Xbox Game Studios group is sure to deliver strong results, so we're eagerly anticipating new details. While you wait for more news to head our way, keep scrolling to get caught up on everything we know so far about Contraband.
Contraband release date unconfirmed
Unlike most of the games shown during Microsoft’s star-studded E3 2021 conference, the mysterious Contraband was given no release date whatsoever. And years later, there's still no word on a potential release window yet, either.
What we do know, however, is that whenever this intriguing Microsoft exclusive does arrive, it will launch on Xbox Series X and PC. Microsoft also confirmed that Contraband will be a day-one entrant into the Xbox Game Pass list. While Avalanche hasn't said so outright, it does appear that the new game is one of the new Xbox exclusives, so a Contraband PS5 release is unlikely.
Contraband trailer
The debut Contraband trailer was shown during the Xbox and Bethesda E3 2021 showcase. The teaser was designed to set the mood of this upcoming co-op game from Avalanche, and give us a hint towards the setting and characters. We'll still be waiting for the first Contraband gameplay trailer, which could come anytime now.
Contraband gameplay
While Avalanche Studios is yet to show Contraband gameplay to the public, we do have a few details to share. For starters, we know that Contraband will be a co-op adventure, and that it'll be built on the "next generation of the Apex Engine" – which is the technology which helped power the Just Cause games.
Contraband game director Omar Shakir has also teased that the game will be a "co-op smuggler's paradise", and that it'll be the "most ambitious and spectacular game" from the studio to date.
Shakir also says that Avalanche is "taking everything we've learned from 18 years of being at the forefront of creating beautiful, vast open game worlds filled with stunning vistas and incredible gameplay moments." So if you've spent the last two decades wondering what an open world, co-operative Just Cause might have looked like...well, Contraband may just be what you've been waiting for!
Contraband setting, and characters
While we have yet to see any Contraband gameplay in action, we do have a fairly good idea about what awaits. Set in the 1970s, this open-world co-op adventure sees players exploring the fictional world of Bayan – a smuggler's paradise.
In the cryptic CG teaser, we get a glimpse of a map that details your squad's heist plans, and what looks like your base of operations. That map refers to a rather ambitious-looking heist known as the "Sun River Job." This heist seems to involve nabbing a fireproof safe from Khoo Private Storage and bolting it across the border in order to make a clean getaway. The map also suggests a decoy to help with the safe getaway.
Another shot is of someone working underneath a four-wheel-drive vehicle in a cluttered garage. If you can figure out what the significance of the neon sign saying "Ketok Magic" is, let us know. We can only find that the word Ketok means "knock" in Indonesian, and that there's a Canadian indie musician called I Am Robot and Proud, AKA Shaw-Han Liem – who also co-created the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita game Sound Shapes – who has a song called Ketok Magic.
Another shot of a radio setup has a list of preset channels hanging from a rooster ornament. That lists River Valley, Highlands, Coastline, and Pirate Tower, all locations we can expect to visit in the game. There's also what looks like a ship's cargo manifest, no doubt detailing some delicious loot.
Contraband development
Contraband developer started in 2021 at Avalanche Studios. The developer is best know for the Just Case series, and for games like RAGE 2 and Renegade Ops. following the Contraband reveal, game director Omar Shakir released a statement which teased the collaboration. "Three years ago, we started talking with our partners at Xbox Game Studios about what a co-op smuggler's paradise would look like and how we could bring it to life together."
"To fully deliver on our vision for Contraband, we have an amazing team at Avalanche Studios that are pushing the boundaries with the next generation of our Apex Engine, the technology behind all our games, including the Just Cause series. We built the engine to unlock the creativity of our developers and we’re excited to take full advantage of the unique capabilities of Xbox Series X and S."
While you're waiting for Contraband to release, why not return to one of the best Xbox Series X games? Or you can head over to our list of the best FPS games for more recommendations.
