An animator who worked on The Last of Us Part 1 remake has pushed back against the idea that it's just a "cash grab", and rather that is has had an incredible amount of care and effort behind it.

Robert Morrison – who also worked on God of War (2018), Resident Evil 7, and Injustice 2 – said The Last of Us Part 1 is, "the most meticulously built and crafted project that I have ever seen or been a part of in my entire career" in a tweet spotted by Eurogamer (below).

The game, which is a remake of the original 2013 PlayStation 3 version, has updated animations, new enemy AI based on The Last of Us Part 2, 60 frames per second performance, and an upgraded combat system.

“It’s just a cash grab”

Actually it’s the most meticulously built and crafted project that I have ever seen or been a part of in my entire career. The highest level of care and attention to detail possible. pic.twitter.com/csjZ3kZMyG

— Robert Morrison (@RobertAnim8er) July 10, 2022

It's faced some criticism online for its $70 price tag, however, with some suggesting that a remake shouldn't cost the same as brand new games such as Horizon: Forbidden West or Returnal. Morrison disagrees, saying that The Last of Us Part 1 remake has ""the highest level of care and attention to detail possible".

Developer Naughty Dog has shown off some of the new models and animations already, with Tess being the most recent example. A short trailer was also released ahead of its release date of September 2.

In our 10/10 review of the original, IGN said: "The Last of Us seamlessly intertwines satisfying, choice-based gameplay with a stellar narrative. It never slows down, it never lets up, and frankly, it never disappoints. It’s PlayStation 3’s best exclusive, and the entire experience, from start to finish, is remarkable."

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

An animator who worked on The Last of Us Part 1 remake has pushed back against the idea that it's just a "cash grab", and rather that is has had an incredible amount of care and effort behind it.

Robert Morrison – who also worked on God of War (2018), Resident Evil 7, and Injustice 2 – said The Last of Us Part 1 is, "the most meticulously built and crafted project that I have ever seen or been a part of in my entire career" in a tweet spotted by Eurogamer (below).

The game, which is a remake of the original 2013 PlayStation 3 version, has updated animations, new enemy AI based on The Last of Us Part 2, 60 frames per second performance, and an upgraded combat system.

“It’s just a cash grab”

Actually it’s the most meticulously built and crafted project that I have ever seen or been a part of in my entire career. The highest level of care and attention to detail possible. pic.twitter.com/csjZ3kZMyG

— Robert Morrison (@RobertAnim8er) July 10, 2022

It's faced some criticism online for its $70 price tag, however, with some suggesting that a remake shouldn't cost the same as brand new games such as Horizon: Forbidden West or Returnal. Morrison disagrees, saying that The Last of Us Part 1 remake has ""the highest level of care and attention to detail possible".

Developer Naughty Dog has shown off some of the new models and animations already, with Tess being the most recent example. A short trailer was also released ahead of its release date of September 2.

In our 10/10 review of the original, IGN said: "The Last of Us seamlessly intertwines satisfying, choice-based gameplay with a stellar narrative. It never slows down, it never lets up, and frankly, it never disappoints. It’s PlayStation 3’s best exclusive, and the entire experience, from start to finish, is remarkable."

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

According to recent job listings, Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment is currently hiring for an "Apex Universe FPS Incubation Title" that may very well be a single-player game.

As reported by Dexerto, one of the job listings in question is for a Senior Engine/Systems Engineer - C++ that will be a "Senior Systems Engineer (Apex Universe FPS Incubation Title)" that will "design, build, and maintain technology that enables the team to create engaging gameplay and fantastic experiences."

Another job listing for a Hard Surface Artist on this project mentions that Respawn is "looking for a talented and experienced Mid-Level 3D Hardsurface Artist to help build a brand new Respawn single-player adventure."

It's important to note that Respawn is hiring for this "Apex Universe FPS Incubation" title alongside a "New Game Incubation Team" that may or may not be the same game.

For those hoping for a new Titanfall game, it is interesting that Respawn specifically mentions this new project is in the "Apex Universe" and not the Titanfall one, which existed before Apex Legends was ever released. Respawn also specifically said it wasn't working on a Titanfall game as it has "too many other games" at the moment.

In 2021, Respawn was hiring for a "brand-new single-player adventure" in a "unique universe," and it is unclear if these listings have anything to do with the previous ones.

Either way, Respawn Entertainment is very busy as it is working on continuing to support Apex Legends alongside developing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, a Star Wars FPS, and a Star Wars strategy game.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

According to recent job listings, Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment is currently hiring for an "Apex Universe FPS Incubation Title" that may very well be a single-player game.

As reported by Dexerto, one of the job listings in question is for a Senior Engine/Systems Engineer - C++ that will be a "Senior Systems Engineer (Apex Universe FPS Incubation Title)" that will "design, build, and maintain technology that enables the team to create engaging gameplay and fantastic experiences."

Another job listing for a Hard Surface Artist on this project mentions that Respawn is "looking for a talented and experienced Mid-Level 3D Hardsurface Artist to help build a brand new Respawn single-player adventure."

It's important to note that Respawn is hiring for this "Apex Universe FPS Incubation" title alongside a "New Game Incubation Team" that may or may not be the same game.

For those hoping for a new Titanfall game, it is interesting that Respawn specifically mentions this new project is in the "Apex Universe" and not the Titanfall one, which existed before Apex Legends was ever released. Respawn also specifically said it wasn't working on a Titanfall game as it has "too many other games" at the moment.

In 2021, Respawn was hiring for a "brand-new single-player adventure" in a "unique universe," and it is unclear if these listings have anything to do with the previous ones.

Either way, Respawn Entertainment is very busy as it is working on continuing to support Apex Legends alongside developing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, a Star Wars FPS, and a Star Wars strategy game.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller has revealed that he has been "having some conversations" with Tom Cruise about a possible Top Gun 3.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Teller said he would be up to return as Goose's son Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw in another Top Gun story, but ultimately the decision is up to Cruise himself.

"That would be great, but that's all up to TC," Teller said. "It's all up to Tom. I've been having some conversations with him about it. We'll see."

Paramount Pictures would also undoubtedly love Cruise and Teller to return for a Top Gun 3 as the film has dominated the box office and has brought in over $1.13 billion globally since first landing in theaters on May 27, 2022, and has become Cruise's highest-grossing movie ever.

Teller clearly understands the success of the film, and joked that his team has been singing its praises and taking notes for "future negotiations."

Either way, Teller is very grateful for the opportunity to play Rooster in Top Gun: Maverick.

"For [Cruise] to share Top Gun with me and a lot of these other young actors, it's just been such a wild ride, and it's still going," Teller said.

In our Top Gun: Maverick review, we said that it "is an out-of-bounds blast of afterburner fumes and thrillseeker highs that's sure to please audiences looking for a classic summer blockbuster."

For more, check out our explainer of the ending and learn how Top Gun: Maverick's breathtaking practical effects were achieved.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Sorry Synder Cut fans, Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi has no interest in a Waititi Cut of the latest MCU film as he believes "director's cuts are not good."

Speaking to NME, Waititi addressed the possibility of the release of a four-hour version of Thor: Love and Thunder and pretty firmly closed the door on it ever happening.

“I’ve been thinking about director’s cuts," Waititi said. "I watch director’s cuts of a lot of other directors. They suck. Director’s cuts are not good. Directors need to be controlled sometimes and if I was to say, ‘ah you wanna watch my director’s cut? It’s four and a half hours long!’ It’s not good, at four and a half hours. There’s a lot of cup-of-tea breaks in there, you don’t even have to pause it.”

Waititi previously spoke to Collider about this four-hour cut of Thor: Love and Thunder, saying, "in the moment," it was "the greatest thing that anyone's ever filmed in the history of filming things." However, that honeymoon phase doesn't last very long.

"And you get into the edit," Waititi said. "You're like, 'I still kind of like it.' And then, after about six months of it being in the movie, you realize it was fun on the day but it doesn't have any business being in the movie."

Despite shutting down the dreams of those wishing he would #ReleaseTheWaititiCut, the director did reveal a bit about what it would look like were it to see the light of day.

"I’d say my cut would probably have a few more jokes in there," Waititi said. "There might be a couple of deleted scenes but as I always say, a scene is deleted because it’s not good enough to be in the film. I think the deleted scenes section on the DVD, not that they use them anymore, should just be a list of the scenes and no links so you can’t click on them!”

Thor: Love and Thunder is now in theaters. In our review, we said that it "is held back by a cookie-cutter plot and a mishandling of supporting characters, but succeeds as the MCU's first romantic comedy thanks to Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman's chemistry."

For more, check out our explainer of the ending and post-credits scenes, our breakdown of who that mystery character is, and why the film is proof Marvel needs a Phase 4 goal, and fast.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Sorry Synder Cut fans, Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi has no interest in a Waititi Cut of the latest MCU film as he believes "director's cuts are not good."

Speaking to NME, Waititi addressed the possibility of the release of a four-hour version of Thor: Love and Thunder and pretty firmly closed the door on it ever happening.

“I’ve been thinking about director’s cuts," Waititi said. "I watch director’s cuts of a lot of other directors. They suck. Director’s cuts are not good. Directors need to be controlled sometimes and if I was to say, ‘ah you wanna watch my director’s cut? It’s four and a half hours long!’ It’s not good, at four and a half hours. There’s a lot of cup-of-tea breaks in there, you don’t even have to pause it.”

Waititi previously spoke to Collider about this four-hour cut of Thor: Love and Thunder, saying, "in the moment," it was "the greatest thing that anyone's ever filmed in the history of filming things." However, that honeymoon phase doesn't last very long.

"And you get into the edit," Waititi said. "You're like, 'I still kind of like it.' And then, after about six months of it being in the movie, you realize it was fun on the day but it doesn't have any business being in the movie."

Despite shutting down the dreams of those wishing he would #ReleaseTheWaititiCut, the director did reveal a bit about what it would look like were it to see the light of day.

"I’d say my cut would probably have a few more jokes in there," Waititi said. "There might be a couple of deleted scenes but as I always say, a scene is deleted because it’s not good enough to be in the film. I think the deleted scenes section on the DVD, not that they use them anymore, should just be a list of the scenes and no links so you can’t click on them!”

Thor: Love and Thunder is now in theaters. In our review, we said that it "is held back by a cookie-cutter plot and a mishandling of supporting characters, but succeeds as the MCU's first romantic comedy thanks to Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman's chemistry."

For more, check out our explainer of the ending and post-credits scenes, our breakdown of who that mystery character is, and why the film is proof Marvel needs a Phase 4 goal, and fast.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Blizzard Entertainment is officially ending new content development for its MOBA Heroes of the Storm and will instead focus solely on keeping the game running smoothly with seasonal rolls, hero rotations, bug fixes, balance updates, and more.

Blizzard shared the news in a blog alongside reminding fans that Heroes of the Storm was first released seven years ago. Blizzard took the time to thank the Heroes community and promises to those who still wish to play that it is "committed to making sure that you can continue to enjoy your adventures through the Nexus."

Unfortunately, this means there won't be any new content and the game will enter a phase that is shared by games like StarCraft and StarCraft 2.

"Moving forward we will support Heroes in a manner similar to our other longstanding games, StarCraft and StarCraft II," Blizzard wrote. "In the future, we’ll continue seasonal rolls and hero rotations, and while the in-game shop will remain operational there are no plans for new for-purchase content to be added. Future patches will primarily focus on client sustainability and bug fixing, with balance updates coming as needed."

As a "token of [Blizzard's] appreciation" to its Heroes of the Storm fans, it will make up for this decision by gifting the "incredibly rare Epic Arcane Lizard mount" to all players with next week's patch.

In our 2018 re-review of Heroes of the Storm, we said that it "packs a ton of variety and excellent characters. Some of this MOBA's modes work better than others, but it's a safe bet that it'll deliver a fun match."

Also in 2018, Blizzard confirmed it was scaling down Heroes of the Storm development as it needed to "take some of our talented developers and bring their skills to other projects."

As Blizzard winds down support on Heroes of the Storm, it is also getting ready to launch Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV into the world. Overwatch 2 will arrive first on October 4 and Diablo IV will follow in 2023.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Blizzard Entertainment is officially ending new content development for its MOBA Heroes of the Storm and will instead focus solely on keeping the game running smoothly with seasonal rolls, hero rotations, bug fixes, balance updates, and more.

Blizzard shared the news in a blog alongside reminding fans that Heroes of the Storm was first released seven years ago. Blizzard took the time to thank the Heroes community and promises to those who still wish to play that it is "committed to making sure that you can continue to enjoy your adventures through the Nexus."

Unfortunately, this means there won't be any new content and the game will enter a phase that is shared by games like StarCraft and StarCraft 2.

"Moving forward we will support Heroes in a manner similar to our other longstanding games, StarCraft and StarCraft II," Blizzard wrote. "In the future, we’ll continue seasonal rolls and hero rotations, and while the in-game shop will remain operational there are no plans for new for-purchase content to be added. Future patches will primarily focus on client sustainability and bug fixing, with balance updates coming as needed."

As a "token of [Blizzard's] appreciation" to its Heroes of the Storm fans, it will make up for this decision by gifting the "incredibly rare Epic Arcane Lizard mount" to all players with next week's patch.

In our 2018 re-review of Heroes of the Storm, we said that it "packs a ton of variety and excellent characters. Some of this MOBA's modes work better than others, but it's a safe bet that it'll deliver a fun match."

Also in 2018, Blizzard confirmed it was scaling down Heroes of the Storm development as it needed to "take some of our talented developers and bring their skills to other projects."

As Blizzard winds down support on Heroes of the Storm, it is also getting ready to launch Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV into the world. Overwatch 2 will arrive first on October 4 and Diablo IV will follow in 2023.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Tony Sirico, the actor best-known for playing Paulie Walnuts in The Sopranos, has died. He was 79.

Sopranos co-star Michael Imperioli confirmed the news in an Instagram post, saying, "I did a lot of my best and most fun work with my dear pal Tony."

It pains me to say that my dear friend, colleague and partner in crime, the great TONY SIRICO has passed away today. Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone i’ve ever known. I was at his side through so much: through good times and bad. But mostly good. And we had a lot of laughs. We found a groove as Christopher and Paulie and I am proud to say I did a lot of my best and most fun work with my dear pal Tony. I will miss him forever. He is truly irreplaceable. I send love to his family, friends and his many many fans. He was beloved and will never be forgotten. Heartbroken today.

Imperioli played Christopher Moltisanti, Tony Sopranos' protege, while Sirico played one of the group's chief henchmen to "violent, paranoid perfection." In The Many Saints of Newark, the role of Paulie Walnuts was portrayed by Billy Magnussen.

While Sirico was most famous for his role in The Sopranos, it was far from his only role as a gangster. His tough guy persona and Brooklyn accent made him a natural for roles in movies including Goodfellas, Cop Land, and Gotti.

He remained active in film and television long after the conclusion of The Sopranos, most recently appearing in American Dad, where he naturally played a mobster.

Back in 2020, we said that The Sopranos was still the "Godfather of Peak TV." Now is a great time to revisit it and pay tribute to one of the performers who helped define the television gangster.

Blogroll image credit: HBO

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.