Tag: Avalanche Studios

  • Just Cause 5 Cancelled as Avalanche Studios Faces Talent Loss

    Just Cause 5 Cancelled as Avalanche Studios Faces Talent Loss

    Key Takeaways

    1. Just Cause 5 is officially canceled, as stated by creator Christofer Sundberg, due to a lack of original team members at Avalanche Studios.

    2. Sundberg cited a talent drain and deeper issues at Avalanche, stemming from the troubled development of Just Cause 4.

    3. Just Cause 4, released in December 2018, received mixed reviews due to glitches and a departure from the series’ chaotic style, though updates improved player satisfaction.

    4. Despite the cancellation, fans remain hopeful for the franchise’s future, but Sundberg expressed doubt about reviving it without significant changes and risk-taking.

    5. Avalanche Studios has faced ongoing challenges, including layoffs and the cancellation of the Contraband project, further complicating the studio’s situation.

    Fans of the Just Cause series will have to bid farewell to Rico Rodriguez, as there won’t be a Just Cause 5. Christofer Sundberg, the creator of the Just Cause series, has declared that Just Cause 5 at Avalanche Studios is effectively a “no-go.”

    A Shift in Leadership

    Sundberg, who co-founded Just Cause, left Avalanche Studios in 2019. After seeing leaked images from the now-canceled Contraband game, he remarked, “#JC5 would be a no-go since extremely few from the original team are there still.”

    He stated that this was a “qualified guess” but later commented that there are deeper issues troubling Avalanche Studios, particularly a talent drain that started during the rocky development of Just Cause 4.

    Mixed Reviews and Development Woes

    Just Cause 4 was launched nearly seven years ago on December 4, 2018, and it received mixed feedback right from the start, mainly due to glitches, weather mechanics, and a shift from the franchise’s chaotic fun. However, updates released after the launch did help to satisfy long-time fans of the series.

    Sundberg took some responsibility for the issues in the development of Just Cause 4, noting, “The problems with JC4 were partly me (unwillingly) moving away from creative leadership to more corporate crap, publisher problems, team composition and roles, and more.” He added that it was sad because looking at JC4 now, it shows “SO much promise.”

    Fans Still Hopeful

    Despite the bad news, fans aren’t ready to give up on the Just Cause franchise. One fan expressed that Just Cause 5 could save the company. Sundberg quickly dismissed this, saying, “I doubt it. They need to find the fire again, take risks, piss people off, and make games; the rest said was impossible. I started Avalanche to break the mold, not fit into one.”

    Sadly, Avalanche’s issues have only increased since the studio stopped work on Contraband, which was meant to be a co-op smuggling game set in the 1970s. This project was initially pitched by Sundberg and his team to Microsoft in 2017.

    However, Microsoft’s restructuring plans led to the cancellation of Contraband and significant layoffs at Avalanche. By late September, Avalanche announced the closure of its Liverpool office and staff reductions in Malmo and Stockholm, amidst “industry challenges.”

     

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  • Avalanche Studios Announces Liverpool Closure and Job Cuts in Sweden

    Avalanche Studios Announces Liverpool Closure and Job Cuts in Sweden

    Key Takeaways

    1. Avalanche Studios is closing its Liverpool studio, which had been operational since 2020 and focused on support roles without producing standalone games.

    2. The closure will lead to staff reductions at the main offices in Malmo and Stockholm as part of a restructuring effort in response to industry challenges.

    3. The company is committed to providing support to affected employees, referred to as “Avalanchers,” during this transition period.

    4. This closure follows previous significant layoffs, including the shutdown of offices in New York and Montreal, impacting a total of 50 jobs.

    5. The Liverpool studio’s cancellation of the co-op heist game, Contraband, contributes to the uncertainty surrounding the studio’s future projects.

    The Swedish company Avalanche Studios, known for creating the Just Cause and Mad Max games, has revealed that it will be closing its Liverpool studio. Along with this closure, there will also be a decrease in staff at its main offices in Malmo and Stockholm.

    On September 30, 2025, the studio shared this news through a statement on its website, citing ongoing challenges within the gaming industry. The Liverpool studio, which was opened in 2020 to help expand the company’s global reach, has now stopped all operations. This studio was primarily involved in support roles and had not produced any standalone games.

    Company Statement

    Avalanche explained:

    “We have carefully looked at the issues our business and the industry are facing, and we have come to the hard decision to make some changes to our teams and locations. Therefore, we are planning to shut down our Liverpool studio and begin a collective consultation process as required by UK regulations. This will affect all employees, referred to as ‘Avalanchers’ in Liverpool.”

    Moreover, the adjustments will also touch upon the other studios in Malmo and Stockholm, where the workforce will be reduced and the teams restructured to better meet the needs of their games.

    Employee Support

    The company assured that they are dedicated to providing full assistance to all Avalanchers during this tough period. Even with these structural changes, they reaffirmed their commitment to creating fantastic games for their loyal player base.

    As of now, the exact number of employees impacted remains undisclosed. Avalanche Studios Group has more than 600 employees around the globe. This closure marks the third significant move made by the company in just over a year, following the shutdown of their New York and Montreal offices in June 2024, which resulted in 50 job cuts.

    Project Cancellation

    This news comes shortly after Microsoft canceled the co-op heist game, Contraband, which had been in development by the Liverpool team since it was first announced in 2021. In August 2025, Microsoft halted the development of the game amid significant layoffs, leading Avalanche to confirm that “active development has now stopped.”

    Given the current situation, it appears that Contraband may not see the light of day for quite a while. The link on the Avalanche Studios website that previously led to Contraband’s official page now redirects visitors to the Xbox US homepage.

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  • Xbox Cancels Promising Game After 4 Years of Development

    Xbox Cancels Promising Game After 4 Years of Development

    Key Takeaways

    1. Xbox is facing challenges with recent layoffs and the cancellation of a highly-anticipated game.
    2. The cancelled game, Contraband, was announced in 2021 as an open-world co-op title set in the 1970s Bayan.
    3. Development of Contraband has officially stopped after four years of work by Avalanche Studios.
    4. Avalanche Studios may use some of the effort from Contraband for future projects, though this is speculative.
    5. Avalanche Studios is known for the successful Just Cause series, raising hopes for new projects despite current setbacks.

    Times are really hard for Xbox right now, with several layoffs happening in recent weeks that have affected some licenses. To make matters worse, a highly-anticipated game has been cancelled, wasting four years of development efforts.

    Back to 2021

    We need to rewind to 2021, during the Xbox Showcase of that year. Avalanche Studios revealed a future project that is now sadly no more. Some might remember it as Contraband, an open-world co-op game.

    A Unique Setting

    With this reveal, the studio aimed to make a strong comeback with a bold and distinctive title. Contraband was set in the fictional Bayan, where players would dive into smuggling networks in the 1970s.

    However, even though many gamers were excited, the project fell silent for four long years. That was until yesterday when rumors spread online that development had come to a halt. To confirm this disappointing news, Avalanche Studios released an official statement.

    Turning the Page

    So, as it turns out, the game is no longer being developed, and the studio seems to be moving on from what was once a promising project. Still, there are expectations for new information regarding future plans to be shared soon.

    Considering the four years of hard work by Avalanche Studios, it’s possible that some of that effort might be used for another game. Of course, this is just speculation, and we’ll have to wait for official updates. It’s worth mentioning that this studio was behind the Just Cause games, which found great success globally. So, it’s likely that another project is on the horizon—unless, of course, it’s also scrapped by Xbox.

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