Hasan Kahraman, director of controversial indie game Abandoned, has reiterated that it has not been canceled, and said more content will come this year – including the game's Prologue, which will be a paid, standalone project.

Speaking to IGN's Destin Legarie, Kahraman explained that the recent decision to delete a number of tweets relating to the game's future plans was a mistaken attempt to keep information about the game relevant and up to date – but it instead led to rumors that the still-mysterious horror game was cancelled.

"I did not see that coming," he explained. "I didn't think that the community would respond that way. Basically, the tweets were deleted because some of the concept has changed, and I figured maybe just deleting the tweet and then tweeting more relevant information would be a better idea – which was actually not a good idea. I have learned now just to keep them. Even if the information or concept changed, just keep the older information because people eventually will see for themselves what the difference is and then see what's more actual."

Kahraman's studio, Blue Box, was forced to put out a statement saying that the game was still in development, and apologized for the lengthy silence around new information. The team said it had "underestimated our development roadmap" and delayed the reveal and release of the promised Prologue.

However, Kahraman says that Prologue is still planned for this year, and explained a little more about it for IGN. He made clear that it will be a paid, standalone game, not just a demo. It will come with a full set of PlayStation trophies, including a Platinum trophy – and it's being made to help fund the main game:

"The Prologue is not a demo. People keep saying it's a demo. It's not a demo. It's actually a standalone game, right? It has a price tag. It's low because it's probably about an hour, two hours of gameplay. But yeah, it's a reasonable price tag. It's not really that much. But the revenue collected from the Prologue will actually be used to fund the development for Abandoned, right? So, we're actually self-funding the game with the revenue collected from the Prologue. So, that's why we want to release the Prologue first."

Kahraman also explained more of what the Prologue will be as a playable product: "It's not an early access, but it's more like an... It's actually more like an opportunity for gamers to get introduced to the story of the game, to the gameplay, because it's different. It's our version of saying, 'This is what we believe how a realistic survival shooter should be like.' It's actually a good way to showcase the visuals of the game. I don't claim to be a AAA developer, but what we do is we spend time making sure the environment looks realistic and that it actually... With Unreal Engine 5's power, that we can actually deliver something that is close to real life, to the real thing, right?"

Alongside the Prologue, Kahraman said that the team has plans to add new content for Abandoned's long-dormant Realtime Experience App throughout 2022, and that, "sometime after the Prologue, we will actually start releasing, bit by bit, more footage, more trailers of the base game."

Kahraman, perhaps understandably at this point, didn't say exactly when any of this new content would arrive, and explained that he's in something of a dilemma about how to reveal the game.

"The reason why people haven't seen anything of the game yet, any development of the game yet, is because simply, and to describe it in one word, is that I'm scared. I'm not going to lie. The reason why I'm scared is because it's a personal work. It's something personal. I'm not working for Ubisoft. I'm not working for a AAA publisher who tells me what to do, who basically tells me what game I should make. It's something personal. And the development progress, not everyone might get it because gamers don't see, don't understand what 'in development' means. Gamers don't care about that.

"The gamers only care about what they're seeing at that moment. And I'm between these two choices where I either [...] decide to actually show some development [now], the progress, to share with the world the development progress of Abandoned – and between the choice of whether I should wait just to do a proper reveal. I'm still in between choices because if I do the first scenario, I'm afraid that people might be... It's just scary. That's just basically what I'm trying to say. I'm confused if I am going to eventually show development footages of the game, that it's a matter of presentation of how you present it to the world. And that's where I'm looking at right now. If I'm able to present it in a good way, then I might put it up on Twitter, yeah."

Kahraman and Blue Box have garnered deadlines thanks to heavy suggestions that the studio was a front for a new Silent Hill game. There was even an Internet conspiracy that Kahraman wasn't a real person, forcing himself to post a video to prove his own existence. Missed trailer launches and other marketing snafus have only contributed to doubts around Blue Box and Abandoned.

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.

Hasan Kahraman, director of controversial indie game Abandoned, has reiterated that it has not been canceled, and said more content will come this year – including the game's Prologue, which will be a paid, standalone project.

Speaking to IGN's Destin Legarie, Kahraman explained that the recent decision to delete a number of tweets relating to the game's future plans was a mistaken attempt to keep information about the game relevant and up to date – but it instead led to rumors that the still-mysterious horror game was cancelled.

"I did not see that coming," he explained. "I didn't think that the community would respond that way. Basically, the tweets were deleted because some of the concept has changed, and I figured maybe just deleting the tweet and then tweeting more relevant information would be a better idea – which was actually not a good idea. I have learned now just to keep them. Even if the information or concept changed, just keep the older information because people eventually will see for themselves what the difference is and then see what's more actual."

Kahraman's studio, Blue Box, was forced to put out a statement saying that the game was still in development, and apologized for the lengthy silence around new information. The team said it had "underestimated our development roadmap" and delayed the reveal and release of the promised Prologue.

However, Kahraman says that Prologue is still planned for this year, and explained a little more about it for IGN. He made clear that it will be a paid, standalone game, not just a demo. It will come with a full set of PlayStation trophies, including a Platinum trophy – and it's being made to help fund the main game:

"The Prologue is not a demo. People keep saying it's a demo. It's not a demo. It's actually a standalone game, right? It has a price tag. It's low because it's probably about an hour, two hours of gameplay. But yeah, it's a reasonable price tag. It's not really that much. But the revenue collected from the Prologue will actually be used to fund the development for Abandoned, right? So, we're actually self-funding the game with the revenue collected from the Prologue. So, that's why we want to release the Prologue first."

Kahraman also explained more of what the Prologue will be as a playable product: "It's not an early access, but it's more like an... It's actually more like an opportunity for gamers to get introduced to the story of the game, to the gameplay, because it's different. It's our version of saying, 'This is what we believe how a realistic survival shooter should be like.' It's actually a good way to showcase the visuals of the game. I don't claim to be a AAA developer, but what we do is we spend time making sure the environment looks realistic and that it actually... With Unreal Engine 5's power, that we can actually deliver something that is close to real life, to the real thing, right?"

Alongside the Prologue, Kahraman said that the team has plans to add new content for Abandoned's long-dormant Realtime Experience App throughout 2022, and that, "sometime after the Prologue, we will actually start releasing, bit by bit, more footage, more trailers of the base game."

Kahraman, perhaps understandably at this point, didn't say exactly when any of this new content would arrive, and explained that he's in something of a dilemma about how to reveal the game.

"The reason why people haven't seen anything of the game yet, any development of the game yet, is because simply, and to describe it in one word, is that I'm scared. I'm not going to lie. The reason why I'm scared is because it's a personal work. It's something personal. I'm not working for Ubisoft. I'm not working for a AAA publisher who tells me what to do, who basically tells me what game I should make. It's something personal. And the development progress, not everyone might get it because gamers don't see, don't understand what 'in development' means. Gamers don't care about that.

"The gamers only care about what they're seeing at that moment. And I'm between these two choices where I either [...] decide to actually show some development [now], the progress, to share with the world the development progress of Abandoned – and between the choice of whether I should wait just to do a proper reveal. I'm still in between choices because if I do the first scenario, I'm afraid that people might be... It's just scary. That's just basically what I'm trying to say. I'm confused if I am going to eventually show development footages of the game, that it's a matter of presentation of how you present it to the world. And that's where I'm looking at right now. If I'm able to present it in a good way, then I might put it up on Twitter, yeah."

Kahraman and Blue Box have garnered deadlines thanks to heavy suggestions that the studio was a front for a new Silent Hill game. There was even an Internet conspiracy that Kahraman wasn't a real person, forcing himself to post a video to prove his own existence. Missed trailer launches and other marketing snafus have only contributed to doubts around Blue Box and Abandoned.

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.

Jared Leto is infamous for his wild method approach to acting, and that apparently didn't change much while shooting Morbius. In a new interview with Uproxx, director Daniel Espinosa confirmed the rumor that Leto’s process included limping to the bathroom on crutches to stay in character.

Asked about rumors of Leto’s lengthy bathroom trips during the interview, Espinosa answered with a simple, "Yes.” It was in reference to reports that Leto would frequently stumble with crutches to and from the bathroom, leading to extended periods of downtime for the production.

In Morbius, Leto plays Michael Morbius, who suffers from a rare blood disease that devastates his body. Because of this, the character requires crutches to move about – something Leto decided should carry over to his bathroom breaks.

This resulted in trips to the bathroom taking up to 45 minutes, leading the production team to strike a deal with him that included transporting him back and forth in a wheelchair. But despite the inconvenience, Espinosa seems to feel that Leto's dedication was just part of the job.

"I think that what Jared thinks, what Jared believes, is that somehow the pain of those movements, even when he was playing normal Michael Morbius, he needed, because he’s been having this pain his whole life," Espinosa said. "Even though he's alive and strong, it has to be a difference. Hey, man, it’s people’s processes."

"All of the actors believe in processes," he continued. "And you, as director, you support whatever makes it as good as you can be."

Of course, this isn't the first time Leto has been accused of strange method behavior on the set of his films. While shooting his role as Joker in Suicide Squad, the actor allegedly engaged in some incredibly unhinged acts, which included sending his castmates wildly inappropriate items like condoms, anal beads, and even a dead hog.

Unfortunately for Espinosa and Leto alike, the actor's commitment to the character of Michael Morbius didn't translate to a particularly well-received film. Morbius currently sits at a paltry 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the second worst-rated Marvel film behind the Fantastic Four reboot.

In our Morbius review, we said, "Morbius is unspectacular in ways that waste the potential of what could be an intriguing hybrid of sinister horror and superhero thrills."

Billy Givens is a freelance writer at IGN.

Jared Leto is infamous for his wild method approach to acting, and that apparently didn't change much while shooting Morbius. In a new interview with Uproxx, director Daniel Espinosa confirmed the rumor that Leto’s process included limping to the bathroom on crutches to stay in character.

Asked about rumors of Leto’s lengthy bathroom trips during the interview, Espinosa answered with a simple, "Yes.” It was in reference to reports that Leto would frequently stumble with crutches to and from the bathroom, leading to extended periods of downtime for the production.

In Morbius, Leto plays Michael Morbius, who suffers from a rare blood disease that devastates his body. Because of this, the character requires crutches to move about – something Leto decided should carry over to his bathroom breaks.

This resulted in trips to the bathroom taking up to 45 minutes, leading the production team to strike a deal with him that included transporting him back and forth in a wheelchair. But despite the inconvenience, Espinosa seems to feel that Leto's dedication was just part of the job.

"I think that what Jared thinks, what Jared believes, is that somehow the pain of those movements, even when he was playing normal Michael Morbius, he needed, because he’s been having this pain his whole life," Espinosa said. "Even though he's alive and strong, it has to be a difference. Hey, man, it’s people’s processes."

"All of the actors believe in processes," he continued. "And you, as director, you support whatever makes it as good as you can be."

Of course, this isn't the first time Leto has been accused of strange method behavior on the set of his films. While shooting his role as Joker in Suicide Squad, the actor allegedly engaged in some incredibly unhinged acts, which included sending his castmates wildly inappropriate items like condoms, anal beads, and even a dead hog.

Unfortunately for Espinosa and Leto alike, the actor's commitment to the character of Michael Morbius didn't translate to a particularly well-received film. Morbius currently sits at a paltry 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the second worst-rated Marvel film behind the Fantastic Four reboot.

In our Morbius review, we said, "Morbius is unspectacular in ways that waste the potential of what could be an intriguing hybrid of sinister horror and superhero thrills."

Billy Givens is a freelance writer at IGN.

Squid Game Director Dong-hyuk Hwang is set to make "another controversial film" that will be even more violent than Squid Game.

As reported by Variety, Hwang is working on a film called Killing Old People Club, an adaptation of a novel by Italian essayist Umberto Eco.

“It will be more violent than Squid Game,” Hwang said adding he might have to hide from old people after the movie releases.

The new project doesn't mean Hwang is departing the Squid Game universe. Squid Game season 2 is already in the works, with Hwang saying he hopes to see season 2 on Netflix by the end of 2024. Netflix has also said "The Squid Game universe has just begun", along with Hwang revealing he's already talking with Netflix about Squid Game season 3.

Squid Game was the hottest new television series of 2021, becoming the biggest series launch in Netflix history. It was also a critical hit, winning IGN's award for best TV series of 2021. The show follows a group of contestants who compete in a series of deadly children's games for a chance to win life-changing money.

For more on Squid Game, check out IGN's exclusive on the inspiration behind Squid Game's iconic tracksuits.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Squid Game Director Dong-hyuk Hwang is set to make "another controversial film" that will be even more violent than Squid Game.

As reported by Variety, Hwang is working on a film called Killing Old People Club, an adaptation of a novel by Italian essayist Umberto Eco.

“It will be more violent than Squid Game,” Hwang said adding he might have to hide from old people after the movie releases.

The new project doesn't mean Hwang is departing the Squid Game universe. Squid Game season 2 is already in the works, with Hwang saying he hopes to see season 2 on Netflix by the end of 2024. Netflix has also said "The Squid Game universe has just begun", along with Hwang revealing he's already talking with Netflix about Squid Game season 3.

Squid Game was the hottest new television series of 2021, becoming the biggest series launch in Netflix history. It was also a critical hit, winning IGN's award for best TV series of 2021. The show follows a group of contestants who compete in a series of deadly children's games for a chance to win life-changing money.

For more on Squid Game, check out IGN's exclusive on the inspiration behind Squid Game's iconic tracksuits.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Editor's Note: The war in Ukraine is an ongoing, painful and emotive topic. IGN urges community members to be respectful when engaging in conversation around this subject and does not endorse harassment of any kind.

World of Tanks developer Wargaming has announced that it will leave Russia and Belarus, and expects to make "substantial losses" as a result.

Announced on LinkedIn, the company said that it had transferred its live games business in the two countries to Lesta Studio, which is no longer affiliated with the company. It has also begun closing its Minsk office in Belarus.

"The company will not profit from this process either today or going forward," reads a statement. "Much to the contrary we expect to suffer substantial losses as a direct result of this decision." It added: "We will be providing as much severance and support as possible to our employees affected by the change."

While no specific reasoning was given for the move, it's more than likely been spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as sanctions placed on Russian and Belarussian companies as a result. Wargaming has previously donated $1 million to the Ukrainian Red Cross, and fired a creative director for expressing support for the invasion. The company has provided internal support for the 550 employees in its Kiev office.

Ukrainian deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov had previously asked Wargaming (and other companies) to close its offices in Russia.

Wargaming was founded in Minsk, but moved its headquarters to Cyprus in 2011. The company makes and publishes hugely successful games like World fo Tanks, World of Warships, and World of Warplanes. As recently as 2019, Statista polls pointed to World of Tanks as the most popular game in Russia.

It's not clear what the long-term future of the company's games is in Russia and Belarus, but it says its live games will remain playable "during the transition period".

IGN has put together a guide on how to help Ukrainian civilians, and huge swathes of the games and entertainment industries have been voicing support and fundraising since the invasion.

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.

PlayStation users are currently taking advantage of a new exploit that will net them over six years worth of PlayStation Plus Premium at what is effectively half price. First spotted by @Wario64 on Twitter, and verified by our deals team @IGNDeals, you can still buy 12-months' worth of PS Now using a specific link on your web browser. This will auto-convert to 12-months of PS Plus Premium at no extra cost when it launches in June.

Sony had previously blocked the option to buy more than 1-month of PS Now. But, this workaround link is still live, for now, and PlayStation users have been quick to stack up as many years of PS Now as they can, ready for the 1:1 conversion in June. As far as we know, you won't be punished for using this exploit, but it's clear Sony probably doesn't want you doing it either. It's likely going to get shut down soon, so if you are going to take advantage, you better do it soon. We'll explain the relevant steps you need below.

How to Get 50% Off PlayStation Plus Premium

To use this exploit, you'll need to be using a web browser on your computer or mobile device. Sign into your PSN account on your device, and then top up your PSN wallet with however much you'll need via Amazon or PSN (redeem codes here).

Once you're happy with your choice, use this link to purchase 12-months of PS Now. This will let you buy PS Now, and if you repeat this step after you've finished your purchase, you can actually stack your membership for what seems like an infinite amount. PS Now was previously thought to have a three-year stacking limit, but that has seemingly gone out the window during this exploit, with some users reporting six years worthing of stacking, while others have gone even further and somehow stacked their accounts all the way to 2031.

1. Use a web browser on mobile or PC, not the PS app
2. Sign into your PSN account
3. Buy PSN Top-Ups at Amazon or via PSN
4. Redeem codes here if you need to
5. Purchase 12-months of PS Now
6. Stack as many times as you want
7. Free PS Plus Premium conversion in June 2022

What is PlayStation Plus Premium?

Sony announced its revision of its PlayStation Plus subscription service last week, effectively combining PS Plus and PS Now. There's a brand new three-tier structure to the service, Essential, Extra, and Premium.

If you subscribe to the PS Plus Premium membership tier, you can expect around 700 games in total to be included with the subscription. Sony has stated at launch they're expecting to have games such as Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11, and Returnal. Games from PS3, PS2, and original PlayStation era titles will also be available via cloud streaming and direct downloads, but this will definitely differ depending on what game you're trying to play.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco has expressed interest in working with Mistborn and Wheel of Time author Brandon Sanderson – who'd seemingly like to work with developer FromSoftware in the same way George R.R. Martin did.

In a a YouTube stream spotted by PC Gamer, Sanderson unboxed an Elden Ring gift package from Bandai Namco that included a message saying the publisher was interested in working with him.

Sanderson previously jokingly complained about developer FromSoftware working with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin over him, or as he put it "someone who spends his days blogging about the NFL rather than the person who has played their games since King's Field."

During his YouTube stream, someone off-camera asked if the package was an apology for choosing Martin and Sanderson laughed saying "no, they should've hired George", but another off-screen voice told him to read the note that came with the gift.

"They are interested in perhaps doing something together", Sanderson said. "I am as well. I actually have a pitch for them in the back of my head. So I may have to send them my pitch and see what they think."

Sanderson likened the potential collaboration to his work for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game a few years ago, saying he'd already been working on a story before publisher Wizards of the Coast asked if he was interested in writing for them.

He added: "I've been thinking of what I would do if I did a Soulsborne sort of game. Obviously I don't get to decide that but I have it in the back of my head. So maybe you guys will hear something from me. I have some ideas."

The gift package was also sent from Bandai Namco to other influencers and media outlets but it's unclear if the specific note given to Sanderson was sent from FromSoftware (which has the most influence in the development process) or the publisher.

While the Dark Souls trilogy and Elden Ring are published by and closely tied to Bandai Namco, other recent FromSoftware hits have seen different publishers including Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice coming from Activision and Bloodborne from Sony.

Sanderson's interest in gaming partnerships has already been made clear through his collaboration with Fortnite last year, that saw his Mistborn character Kelsier arrive as a skin in the game.

While Elden Ring's story wasn't directly written by Martin. he provided director Hidetaka Miyazaki and FromSoftware with samples of text that provided a backbone to the world, including some of its history and important figures.

Elden Ring was launched on February 25 to incredible success in the U.S. and Europe and, as is typical with FromSoftware games, fans are finding some pretty bizarre secrets such as a pair of fancy underwear and a hidden wall that only opens after 50 hits.

It's proved somewhat of a cultural phenomenon with people continuously seeking new ways to interact with the game, such as someone modding Elden Ring characters into Tekken, speedrunners battling to finish the game as quickly as possible, and a streamer letting his Twitch chat play while he slept.

In our 10/10 review, IGN said: "Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path."

To make those choices with the best available information, check out our full guide that features everything you could ever hope to know about Elden Ring, including collectible locations, boss strategies, and more.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Bandai Namco has announced a small Elden Ring patch, which will be released today, April 4, across all platforms. The patch buffs some attacks for boss Starscourge Radahn, who was unintentionally made weaker in the latest version of the game.

Elden Ring's 1.03 patch arrived last month, and made a lot of adjustments to the game. However, one was unintentional, making the famously tricky Radahn far weaker than he was meant to be when using some attacks. A new version of 1.03 arrives today as a result.

The only patch note reads "Fixed a bug in the balance adjustment of the boss 'Starscourge Radahn' in update 1.03, in which the power of some attacks was unintentionally reduced." The patch comes to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Steam today.

Players on the Elden Ring subreddit broadly welcomed the change, with Naldo273 saying, "On my second playthrough he was a complete joke. You could actually just ride around watching the NPCs melt him. I don't know what people were thinking defending that nerf. God forbid one of the most epic boss fight in From history doesn't keel over on your first attempt".

If you're sturggling with the demigod after the change, our Elden Ring guide includes some tips on how to beat Starscourge Radahn.

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.