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Xbox Cancels Avalanche Studios’ Contraband Four Years After Reveal

Xbox Cancels Avalanche Studios’ Contraband Four Years After Reveal

Microsoft has stopped development on Contraband, a multiplayer co-op title that was in the works at Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios. The game, which was set to be published by Xbox Game Studios, was announced in 2021, but the developer had not shared any updates since the reveal. While Contraband follows a spate of game cancellations at Microsoft, the company has reportedly not axed Hideo Kojima’s horror title OD, currently in development in collaboration with Xbox.

Microsoft Cancels Contraband

Contraband’s cancellation was first reported by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier on Thursday before being confirmed by Avalanche. In an update on its website, the Swedish studio said it would assess the game’s future.

“Over the past several years, Avalanche Studios Group and Xbox Game Studios Publishing have collaborated on Contraband,” the developer said. “Active development has now stopped while we evaluate the project’s future. We’re thankful for the excitement we’ve seen from the community since we announced and will give an update on what’s next as soon as we can.”

While the statement suggests the game may yet have a future, Schreier, in a post on Bluesky, claimed the project was cancelled. Contraband was announced with a brief cinematic trailer at Xbox and Bethesda’s E3 showcase in 2021. The game was described as a “co-op smuggler’s paradise set in the fictional world of 1970s Bayan. Contraband was set to be an Xbox Series S/X console exclusive, with confirmed launch on Xbox Game Pass, Steam, and Windows.

Hideo Kojima’s OD Still in Development

Amid several cancellations at Xbox, fans have speculated about the fate of OD, the horror game in development at Kojima Productions with Xbox Game Studios as the publishing partner. A Microsoft spokesperson, however, told Schreier that OD was still in development. No further details about the project are available.

The latest cancellation at Xbox comes a month after widespread cuts at Microsoft that saw nearly four percent of its total workforce — over 9,000 employees — laid off. The retrenchment drive led to several project cancellations at the Xbox division, including the Perfect Dark reboot, Rare’s Everwild, and an unannounced MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios.

Several other studios at Xbox, including Candy Crush developer King, Call of Duty makers Raven Software and Sledgehammer Games, Halo Studios, and Forza Motorsport developer Turn10 Studios, were hit with layoffs, as well. The entire Forza Motorsport team was reportedly laid off.

The cuts came despite strong quarterly results from Microsoft, which recently hit $4 trillion (roughly Rs. 3,49,15,020 crore) in market valuation — only the second company in history to do so. At its fourth-quarter FY 2025 earnings call last week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Xbox Game Pass annual revenue hit nearly $5 billion for the first time over the past year. The tech giant’s Gaming revenue grew 10 percent, while Xbox content and services revenue rose 13 percent in FY 2025.

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The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT’s The Mini for Monday, April 20, 2026:

Across

All-caps reply to a spammy political text

Number of seasons that “Seinfeld” and “The Office” each ran

Wild party, informally

Swedish furniture giant

Long-lasting salon treatment

Down

Chinese zodiac animal

Chinese zodiac animal

Hour following midnight

The “p” of m.p.h.

Tombstone letters

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Mini Crossword.

#NYT #Mini #crossword #answers #hints #April">NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for April 20, 2026
                                                            The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
        
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            Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable
            
        
    

        SEE ALSO:
        
            How to play Pips, the newest NYT game
            
        
    
Here are the clues and answers to NYT’s The Mini for Monday, April 20, 2026:AcrossAll-caps reply to a spammy political textNumber of seasons that “Seinfeld” and “The Office” each ranWild party, informallySwedish furniture giantLong-lasting salon treatmentDownChinese zodiac animalChinese zodiac animalHour following midnightThe “p” of m.p.h.Tombstone lettersIf you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Mini Crossword.

                    
                                            
                            
    
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                    Gaming
                    Mini Crossword
            

                        
                                    #NYT #Mini #crossword #answers #hints #April

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT’s The Mini for Monday, April 20, 2026:

Across

All-caps reply to a spammy political text

Number of seasons that “Seinfeld” and “The Office” each ran

Wild party, informally

Swedish furniture giant

Long-lasting salon treatment

Down

Chinese zodiac animal

Chinese zodiac animal

Hour following midnight

The “p” of m.p.h.

Tombstone letters

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Mini Crossword.

#NYT #Mini #crossword #answers #hints #April">NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for April 20, 2026

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT’s The Mini for Monday, April 20, 2026:

Across

All-caps reply to a spammy political text

Number of seasons that “Seinfeld” and “The Office” each ran

Wild party, informally

Swedish furniture giant

Long-lasting salon treatment

Down

Chinese zodiac animal

Chinese zodiac animal

Hour following midnight

The “p” of m.p.h.

Tombstone letters

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Mini Crossword.

#NYT #Mini #crossword #answers #hints #April

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