The fact that Microsoft was no longer talked about in Xbox Showcases and other events had made many suspect that the development of Contraband, Avalanche Studios' heist title announced four years ago, was not sailing in good waters. And today we have the official confirmation.

Avalanche has in fact published a short note on its website, which reads:

An update on Contraband

In recent years, Avalanche Studios Group and Xbox Game Studios Publishing have collaborated on Contraband. Active development is now on hold, while we evaluate the future of the project. We're grateful for the enthusiasm we've seen from the community since the announcement, and we'll provide an update on what's coming next as soon as we can.

So we have confirmation that the development of the game is at a standstill and that Microsoft will no longer publish it. But it seems that the studio still wants to evaluate other avenues for the project: we will inform you if there is any news.