Insider: Contraband action game from the creators of Just Cause and Rage 2 won't be released until the end of 2025 at the earliest

Many gamers have already forgotten that in 2021 Avalanche Studios - the creator of Just Cause series and co-creator of Rage 2 - announced a new action game Contraband.

The public was presented with a colourful but abstract trailer, and not a word about the game has been said since then.

With major summer game shows coming up, many gamers have been reminded of Contraband and have speculated that the Xbox Games Showcase might feature a demonstration of the game.

But the insider claims that it's not worth hoping for that.

Here's What We Know

On the Xbox News Cast, one of the show's hosts and insider MAGG revealed that Contraband is "in dire straits."

According to him, many of those who have tried the game are happy with what Avalanche is getting, but there is still so much work to be done that the game is unlikely to be released before the end of 2025.

I've been told that Contraband's release has been delayed until 2025, or maybe even the end of 2025. But people I know, footage I've seen, people who have played the game and sent me all their impromptu reviews said the game was interesting. But it was a very early build: there were no drivers in the cars, you couldn't see their heads, there were literally ghost cars driving around.

MAGG is not well known to the general public for its insights, but The Verge's editor-in-chief Tom Warren confirmed his colleague's words: "Yes, Contraband is still a long way off".

Contraband was stated to be an open-world co-operative game where the core gameplay consists of car journeys and shootouts.

Source: Xbox News Cast