In the newest episode of IGN Unfiltered, Ryan McCaffrey sat down with IO Interactive co-owner and CEO Hakan Abrak to discuss crunch, the team's upcoming James Bond game, the future of Hitman, separating from Square Enix, and more. When asked what he thought about crunch, Abrak said, "I took over as executive producer on [Kayne and Lynch] just two years before it was launched, and at that point the technology was just barely done. It was nowhere. Although it had been on the way for five years, it didn't really have any core features in place yet. That production was absolutely... it was crazy. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/06/hitman-studio-boss-talks-hitmans-future-the-new-james-bond-game-and-more-ign-unfiltered-57"] "For me, personally, I ran people really hard. I was really hard, we crunched a lot. I remember, personally... myself... in two years, I had two weekends where I was off both days, or else I would have worked every day, two years straight, no vacation. "I learned a ton from that. After that, I went on to do R&D [research and development] and I went on to be studio production director. When I turned to be the studio production director, I could actually affect things on how my production's run... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-hitman-review&captions=true"] "So, I did learn a lot from that. I did learn it's not only destroying souls, but it's also not an effective way of developing games. Today, I'm not saying we're not doing 'overwork.' We do, at times. But it's something that needs to be felt... like, a good clear purpose... from within the team, and it needs to be on a shorter period than these long crunch periods." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/19/io-interactive-bond-game-project-007-teaser-trailer"] Abrak also said the team is using several tools to evaluate the studio's work/life balance. "The feedback we're getting is very positive, and it seems like we've found a really, really good balance there. And we had to, because, after Absolution, when we changed mentality and culture around doing a marathon... doing a game that is more of a marathon than just a sprint. "Going from 'boxed product' thinking to 'a service,' it absolutely affects everything. It affects how you work, and you can't just say 'Oh, it's just another few months and then it's out, and then we don't have to think about it, and the whole studio can go home for half a year,' or something. That doesn't go when... you run a marathon... It's about keeping that energy and their front lobes fresh. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/hitman-3-reviews-is-this-the-best-hitman-ever-the-review-crew"] "Of course, also very important... as we get older and wiser... not to make people estranged from their loved ones and families at home. These things are extremely important. I think it's also part of the Scandinavian mentality and... as I talked about... other studio's locations, under IO, in the future... that culture, that thinking, those values, with humans front and center, is something that we'll spread and carry on."

For more interviews with the best, brightest, most fascinating minds in the games industry, check out be sure to check out every episode of IGN Unfiltered, which includes talks with Bethesda's Todd Howard, Master Chief co-creator Marcus Lehto, 343's Bonnie Ross, Valve's Robin Walker & Chris Remo, and so many more.

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Brian Barnett writes wiki guides, deals posts, features, and much more for IGN. You can get your fix of Brian's antics on Twitter and Instagram (@Ribnax).

Warner Brothers has revealed the first single from the original motion picture soundtrack for the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, a revised version of The Immortals' Techno Syndrome. The song and soundtrack have been composed by Benjamin Wallfisch, who previously worked on It, Shazam and Blade Runner 2049. You can listen to Techno Syndrome 2021 here, on YouTube. The song is a reinvention of the classic theme tune, grafting in EDM DNA to adapt Techno Syndrome for a modern moviegoing audience. Of course, it still retains the famous "MORTAL KOMBAT!" cry that is so entrenched in the song's legacy. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/05/mortal-kombat-meet-the-kast-exclusive-featurette"] Mortal Kombat 2021 Director Simon McQuoid said that when he was working with Wallfisch on the soundtrack, they knew they had to use 1994's Techno Syndrome as a base for the entire score. The Immortals gave the team their blessing to reimagine the track, and this led to Techno Syndrome 2021. The full soundtrack will launch on April 16 ahead of the film's US launch on April 23. The soundtrack will feature 24 tracks including themes for a number of characters such as Raiden, Sub-Zero, Sonya Blade, Cole Young, Shang Tsung, Liu Kang and Kung Lao. The soundtrack will also feature battle themes highlighting key standoffs from the movie, including Kano v Reptile and Sub-Zero v Cole Young. In other Mortal Kombat movie news, check out this piece about how the movie's fights aim to be true to the games and the characters. You can also meet the Kast of the movie in this exclusive featurette. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Warner Brothers has revealed the first single from the original motion picture soundtrack for the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, a revised version of The Immortals' Techno Syndrome. The song and soundtrack have been composed by Benjamin Wallfisch, who previously worked on It, Shazam and Blade Runner 2049. You can listen to Techno Syndrome 2021 here, on YouTube. The song is a reinvention of the classic theme tune, grafting in EDM DNA to adapt Techno Syndrome for a modern moviegoing audience. Of course, it still retains the famous "MORTAL KOMBAT!" cry that is so entrenched in the song's legacy. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/05/mortal-kombat-meet-the-kast-exclusive-featurette"] Mortal Kombat 2021 Director Simon McQuoid said that when he was working with Wallfisch on the soundtrack, they knew they had to use 1994's Techno Syndrome as a base for the entire score. The Immortals gave the team their blessing to reimagine the track, and this led to Techno Syndrome 2021. The full soundtrack will launch on April 16 ahead of the film's US launch on April 23. The soundtrack will feature 24 tracks including themes for a number of characters such as Raiden, Sub-Zero, Sonya Blade, Cole Young, Shang Tsung, Liu Kang and Kung Lao. The soundtrack will also feature battle themes highlighting key standoffs from the movie, including Kano v Reptile and Sub-Zero v Cole Young. In other Mortal Kombat movie news, check out this piece about how the movie's fights aim to be true to the games and the characters. You can also meet the Kast of the movie in this exclusive featurette. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Bodhi Sabongui has joined the cast of New Line and DC's upcoming Black Adam movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sabongui has joined the star-studded cast of Black Adam, led by Dwayne Johnson in the titular role. At this stage, it's unknown who the young actor will be portraying, with details being kept largely under wraps for now. It is, however, noted in the report that Sabongui will be taking on "a key role in the Black Adam-DC canon." At 13 years of age, Sabongui is a rising star with a handful of credits to his name. He appeared as Behran in The CW's DC's Legends of Tomorrow before landing a recurring role playing Elliot in ABC's A Million Little Things. Last year, he starred in Netflix's The Babysitters Club, as well as in the Netflix feature The Main Event, directed by Jay Karas from a screenplay by Larry Postel. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/22/black-adam-introduces-the-justice-society-of-america-dc-fandome-official-teaser"] Sabongui joins the cast of Black Adam alongside Dwayne Johnson, who previously confirmed that the Justice Society will appear in the movie. The team consists of Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate. Other cast members include Marwan Kenzari, Sarah Shahi, and James Cusati-Moyer. Black Adam has been lightning quick to round out its cast, with production scheduled to kick off this week. Johnson announced the start date on Wednesday via Instagram, where he showed himself "Black Adam ready." The movie itself is scheduled to be released on July 29, 2022, giving the bulk of production a little over a year to wrap things up, provided that filming isn't delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The upcoming DC Extended Universe movie is also planned as a theatrical-only release, indicating that Warner Bros. intends to eventually pull the plug on its simultaneous HBO Max releases and return to a traditional cinema-only approach — however, that won't be happening this year as the studio previously announced a hybrid streaming and theatrical release plan for its 2021 film slate.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=doctor-fate-explained&captions=true"] Black Adam will be the second New Line/DC film production after 2019's Shazam! Johnson was originally slated to appear in Shazam! as a villain, though plans were reworked to give the star his own solo film. For more on DC's planned movies and companion HBO Max series, take a look at our rundown of new DC movies and TV shows in 2021 and beyond. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Bodhi Sabongui has joined the cast of New Line and DC's upcoming Black Adam movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sabongui has joined the star-studded cast of Black Adam, led by Dwayne Johnson in the titular role. At this stage, it's unknown who the young actor will be portraying, with details being kept largely under wraps for now. It is, however, noted in the report that Sabongui will be taking on "a key role in the Black Adam-DC canon." At 13 years of age, Sabongui is a rising star with a handful of credits to his name. He appeared as Behran in The CW's DC's Legends of Tomorrow before landing a recurring role playing Elliot in ABC's A Million Little Things. Last year, he starred in Netflix's The Babysitters Club, as well as in the Netflix feature The Main Event, directed by Jay Karas from a screenplay by Larry Postel. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/22/black-adam-introduces-the-justice-society-of-america-dc-fandome-official-teaser"] Sabongui joins the cast of Black Adam alongside Dwayne Johnson, who previously confirmed that the Justice Society will appear in the movie. The team consists of Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate. Other cast members include Marwan Kenzari, Sarah Shahi, and James Cusati-Moyer. Black Adam has been lightning quick to round out its cast, with production scheduled to kick off this week. Johnson announced the start date on Wednesday via Instagram, where he showed himself "Black Adam ready." The movie itself is scheduled to be released on July 29, 2022, giving the bulk of production a little over a year to wrap things up, provided that filming isn't delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The upcoming DC Extended Universe movie is also planned as a theatrical-only release, indicating that Warner Bros. intends to eventually pull the plug on its simultaneous HBO Max releases and return to a traditional cinema-only approach — however, that won't be happening this year as the studio previously announced a hybrid streaming and theatrical release plan for its 2021 film slate.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=doctor-fate-explained&captions=true"] Black Adam will be the second New Line/DC film production after 2019's Shazam! Johnson was originally slated to appear in Shazam! as a villain, though plans were reworked to give the star his own solo film. For more on DC's planned movies and companion HBO Max series, take a look at our rundown of new DC movies and TV shows in 2021 and beyond. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Robert De Niro was originally cast in the lead role of Big, the movie that proved pivotal to Tom Hanks' career. Talking during an interview on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Elizabeth Perkins - who played Susan Lawrence in Big - revealed the original casting decision. "Robert De Niro was actually cast in the role of Josh in the movie Big,” she revealed. “It fell apart because he had a scheduling conflict, and then they went to Tom Hanks. It’s like a totally different movie in my brain with Robert De Niro.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2013/10/02/igns-top-10-tom-hanks-movies"] While filming never happened with De Niro playing the lead character of Josh, Perkins did audition with De Niro and so had a glimpse of what De Niro's portrayal of the character would have been like. "He was more moody. It was more of a — a little more of a horror movie,” she said. "Robert De Niro wandering around the streets of New York. What Tom Hanks brought to it was so much lighter.” Big, of course, tells the tale of a young boy having his wish granted to become big. But rather than become an adult with all the wisdom and learnings of age, he wakes up as essentially a boy in a grown man's body, as played whimsically by Tom Hanks. You can imagine, though, that this premise would lend itself to something a little more freaky with an unsettling edge if played in the right way. While De Niro only ever performed at an audition, it would be fascinating to see what that apparently moodier feel would have brought to the entire story. For more from Hollywood, check out the confirmed cast of Marvel's She-Hulk, Netflix's grabbing of the rights to Sony movies after their theatrical run, and how the Batman v Superman writer hated WB's original, darker ending. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Robert De Niro was originally cast in the lead role of Big, the movie that proved pivotal to Tom Hanks' career. Talking during an interview on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Elizabeth Perkins - who played Susan Lawrence in Big - revealed the original casting decision. "Robert De Niro was actually cast in the role of Josh in the movie Big,” she revealed. “It fell apart because he had a scheduling conflict, and then they went to Tom Hanks. It’s like a totally different movie in my brain with Robert De Niro.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2013/10/02/igns-top-10-tom-hanks-movies"] While filming never happened with De Niro playing the lead character of Josh, Perkins did audition with De Niro and so had a glimpse of what De Niro's portrayal of the character would have been like. "He was more moody. It was more of a — a little more of a horror movie,” she said. "Robert De Niro wandering around the streets of New York. What Tom Hanks brought to it was so much lighter.” Big, of course, tells the tale of a young boy having his wish granted to become big. But rather than become an adult with all the wisdom and learnings of age, he wakes up as essentially a boy in a grown man's body, as played whimsically by Tom Hanks. You can imagine, though, that this premise would lend itself to something a little more freaky with an unsettling edge if played in the right way. While De Niro only ever performed at an audition, it would be fascinating to see what that apparently moodier feel would have brought to the entire story. For more from Hollywood, check out the confirmed cast of Marvel's She-Hulk, Netflix's grabbing of the rights to Sony movies after their theatrical run, and how the Batman v Superman writer hated WB's original, darker ending. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Hello Games' The Last Campfire has received a surprise update. The studio has said that while The Last Campfire "isn't a live service game like No Man's Sky," the team wanted to implement some larger features so they could "move on from this game they care so much about." Hello Games has added 20% more puzzles to the game, as well as the ability to replay any puzzle at any time. This arrives alongside a host of performance improvements, controller and Mac support, a higher framerate cap and several quality-of-life improvements. A lot of the features added had been requested by fans. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/17/the-last-campfire-official-trailer"] Developed by a 3-person team within the studio, The Last Campfire launched in August of 2020 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS and Nintendo Switch. The studio says that they've been pleased with the response to the game, noting that "over 80%" of the game's players get the platinum reward for solving every side puzzle and helping every forlorn. We reviewed The Last Campfire, scoring it a 9 and calling it "a beautifully told tale." It was reported back in September of 2020 that Hello Games is working on a "huge, ambitious" new game. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Hello Games' The Last Campfire has received a surprise update. The studio has said that while The Last Campfire "isn't a live service game like No Man's Sky," the team wanted to implement some larger features so they could "move on from this game they care so much about." Hello Games has added 20% more puzzles to the game, as well as the ability to replay any puzzle at any time. This arrives alongside a host of performance improvements, controller and Mac support, a higher framerate cap and several quality-of-life improvements. A lot of the features added had been requested by fans. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/17/the-last-campfire-official-trailer"] Developed by a 3-person team within the studio, The Last Campfire launched in August of 2020 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS and Nintendo Switch. The studio says that they've been pleased with the response to the game, noting that "over 80%" of the game's players get the platinum reward for solving every side puzzle and helping every forlorn. We reviewed The Last Campfire, scoring it a 9 and calling it "a beautifully told tale." It was reported back in September of 2020 that Hello Games is working on a "huge, ambitious" new game. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Sony studios are reportedly working on a remake of The Last of Us, while Sony Bend begins work on a new game after an unsuccessful 2019 pitch to make Days Gone 2. In a new Bloomberg report into dissatisfaction among Sony's lesser-known studios, sources say that a Last of Us remake codenamed T1X was started by Michael Mumbauer, the founder of Visual Arts Service Group (a Sony developer that traditionally assists development on PlayStation Studios' games). Mumbauer apparently assembled a new, 30-strong development group and – after passing on the idea of a remake of the first Uncharted game – settled on a remake of 2013's The Last of Us. However, the team reportedly ran into trouble after Sony kept their existence a secret, and refused to offer extra budget. Head of PlayStation Studios Herman Hulst apparently deemed the project too expensive, and Mumbauer's team was moved to support development of The Last of Us 2. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/neil-druckmann-reacts-to-the-last-of-us-2s-best-playstation-game-of-the-year-win"] Bloomberg's sources say that, after The Last of Us 2 was completed, Sony moved multiple Naughty Dog developers onto the T1X project, and the remake effectively became a Naughty Dog project. Mumbauer and other original developers have now left the company, but development on the remake is apparently continuing. As part of the same report, Bloomberg also says that Sony Bend pitched a sequel to Days Gone after the game's release in 2019, but was rejected. Sony then apparently moved Bend developers onto two Naughty Dog projects – a multiplayer game (presumably the standalone Last of Us multiplayer game) and a new Uncharted project (which has also been rumoured recently). Some Bend staff reportedly left as a result of having their autonomy taken away, and leadership allegedly complained to Sony and asked to be moved off of Uncharted development. Sony Bend is now apparently working on a new original game, but it's not clear if this is Days Gone 2, a brand new game, or a return to another back-catalogue game. Update: Eurogamer reports that its sources claim a Sony Bend-developed Uncharted game was planned to be a new chapter for the series, possibly a prequel, and was intended as something of a reboot for the series. It's unclear if those plans have persisted with Bend off of the project. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/the-last-of-us-hbo-series-will-cover-the-first-game"] There had been many rumours about a new Sony team in San Diego, led by Mumbauer, with many assuming that it was working on a new Uncharted game after it said it was developing in an "existing franchise". However, it seems that referred to The Last of Us, with Uncharted's future seemingly remaining under Naughty Dog's control. The timing for a remake of The Last of Us feels appropriate given the upcoming HBO series, which will reimagine the story of the first game, with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in lead roles. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.