A trademark has been filed by Microsoft for its forthcoming game Contraband ahead of the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, which is scheduled to happen on June 12, 2022. It is Xbox’s biggest event of the year, and will span a duration of over 90 minutes of game announcements and reveals.
Contraband was first announced in June, 2021 with a trailer that gave an early look at the game’s visuals and aesthetic tone. Developer Avalanche Studios describes it as a “co-op smuggler’s paradise set in the fictional world of 1970s Bayan”.
Given the time frame in which the trademark has been filed by the software giant, it appears that Contraband will be present at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase in a big way. Avalanche Studios have been quietly at work on the game since some time, and it’s only logical to assume that they’d have a gameplay reveal ready for Xbox’s biggest games showcase of 2022.
Previously, Windows Central’s Jez Corden has revealed a few tidbits about Contraband’s gameplay. According to him, it’s an open world game that’s based entirely around vehicular combat. Corden claims that Contraband is a very different kind of game, that involves planning and executing smuggling runs as well as heists.
Corden revealed that the game is steering clear of violence, instead aiming for a more tactical approach to gameplay, where killing is seen as a last resort. The weapons, too, are based on this approach, and largely involve disabling enemy vehicles rather than destroying them and going on a massive killing spree.
You can expect to watch Xbox and Bethesda Showcase from the following locations.
- YouTube.com/Xbox
- Twitch.tv/Xbox
- Twitch.tv/XboxASL
- Twitter.com/Xbox
- Facebook.com/Xbox
- TikTok.com/@Xbox
The Xbox and Bethesda Showcase will go live on June 12 at 10 AM PT. Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI are two games that are likely to be present at the event. While Starfield has been delayed to the first half of 2023, The Elder Scrolls VI is still in production and is unlikely to receive a huge announcement.
In addition to Wolfenstein, The Evil Within, and a whole new Indiana Jones game now in development at Wolfenstein developer Machine Games, Bethesda has a number of additional properties that may be making a comeback in a big way.
The length of the event has piqued the interest of eager fans, as it might indicate the variety of games that will be displayed. When an event invite is added to a calendar, the length of the event is shown as 90 minutes. Given the vast number of first-party studios that might have games to present, the showcase is likely to exceed 90 minutes.
