CD Projekt reports third best year for profit despite no major launches in 2024Cyberpunk 2077 and its expansion Phantom Liberty were the main drivers for sales last yearImage credit: CD Projekt Red News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on March 26, 2025 CD Projekt has released its financial results for 2024, reporting its third best year in terms of net profit despite no major launches.The developer reported a 17.9% decrease in sales to PLN 985 million ($254 million) compared to PLN 1.2 billion ($310.4 million) in 2023.Its net profit dropped by 2.3% from PLN 481.1 million ($124 million) the previous year to PLN 469.8 million ($121.5 million).Cyberpunk 2077 and its expansion Phantom Liberty were the main drivers of sales, generating almost PLN 600 million ($155.1 million) in 2024.As of November 2024, sales of Cyberpunk 2077 topped 30 million copies while Phantom Liberty sold over eight million units.Also in November, The Witcher 4 entered full-scale production. Project Sirius, a multiplayer game set in the Witcher universe, is in pre-production.The developer said it has decided to merge The Molasses Flood team into CD Projekt Red "to ensure better alignment in scope and direction" of Project Sirius.The Witcher remake, announced in October 2022, is in the concept phase, as is the next Cyberpunk project codenamed Orion.Elsewhere, CD Projekt reported that its development team increased by 10% to over 700 employees since last November, with its primary recruitment focus being on the next Cyberpunk project. It plans to double this team by the end of 2025.It also announced a collaboration with Scopely during its earning call, for a game based on CD Projekt's IP."Both of our franchises wrapped up an excellent year," said CD Projekt CFO Piotr Nielubowicz. "Naturally, the results of CD Projekt are primarily driven by sales of Cyberpunk 2077 [and its expansion, Phantom Liberty].""The Witcher 3 despite ten years having passed since its release continues to attract attention and produces a stable revenue stream. We are very satisfied with the fact that, even in the absence of any major launch, the past year was the third best in [CD Projekt's] history in terms of net profit."

A supermajority of user research workers at Activision have voted to unionize under the Communications Workers of America (CWA) banner.The CWA confirmed the news in a press release and explained those workers will become members of CWA Local 9400. Microsoft has recognized the union, which has named itself Activision User Research Union-CWA.Activision User Research Union-CWA is hoping to secure higher wages, job security and protections amid rampant layoffs, and transparency around promotions and career advancement.It has become the first union formed by video game user researchersbut joins a number of others that have emerged at Microsoft after the company signed a labor neutrality agreement with the CWA."We are excited to join our fellow game makers across the video game industry to show whats possible when workers can freely build solidarity in the workplace," said organizing committee member and quantitative user researcher Nicolaas VanMeerten. "Many of us were mobilized to do something about the layoffs in 2023 and 2024, and now we can look out for each other with a union."CWA Local 9400 president Maurice Washington said it's critical that workers in the game industry have a "protected voice" to ensure they can fight for their fair share.Related:"We are proud to welcome these workers to CWA and are looking forward to meeting Microsoft at the bargaining table to secure a fair union contract," they added.The news caps a remarkable few days for unionizing workers in the game industry. United Videogame Workers-CWA (UVW-CWA) broke cover at GDC 2025 last week to fight for "dignity and respect."The union attracted 100 new members within hours of launching and has now welcomed over 350 due-paying members into its ranks.As a direct-join union, UVW-CWA is open to contractors, freelancers, and developers directly impacted by layoffs. It's a setup the union hopes will enable industry-wide reform by uniting swathes of developers across the U.S. and Canada."Industry bosses have shown time and time again that they will choose the siren call of profit over uplifting workers or doing whats right," said UVW-CWA last week. "Now is the time to stand with your peers, and fight for the dignity and respect you deserve."

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that all non-folding e-bikes will be banned from the majority of Londons public transport network. The ban has been driven by the fire risk from regular bikes converted into e-bikes using DIY kits, but extends to purpose-built e-bikes too in the name of easier enforcement.The new ban comes into effect on March 31st, and applies to the London Underground, Overground, Elizabeth Line, and DLR. The only e-bikes that will be permitted on those services are folding e-bikes, which TfL says are less likely to have been converted into e-bikes using mod kits. That exemption will be a boon for Brompton and Gocycle, two London-based companies that focus on foldable models.TfL says that cycles that have been adapted using electronic conversion kits pose a greater fire risk than purpose-built e-bikes, but that it can be hard to differentiate modified bikes from other models. The organization adds that the ban is necessary until improved product safety measures are in place for conversion kits, batteries, and chargers.The ban follows several fires on public transport linked to e-bikes, including one that burst into flames on the platform at west Londons Rayners Lane station. Following that incident, the train drivers union ASLEF threatened a strike if safety measures werent implemented, which was backed by the separate RMT and TSSA transport unions. E-scooters have been banned across the network since 2021.Whilewe recognisethe sustainable benefits e-bikes, and micromobility generally,bring to our city, the reality isthat across Londonwehave beenseeing an e-bike or e-scooter fireevery other day, on average, and we have particular concern about the risk posed by conversion kits or modified e-bikes, London Fire Brigade deputy commissioner Charlie Pugsley says. When these fires occur, they can besudden, incrediblyferocious andproducesmoke that isextremely toxic.Full-size bikes electronic or otherwise are already not permitted on Londons bus and tram services, and are only allowed on certain parts of the Underground network at certain times, with a blanket ban during rush hour. Once the electric bike ban comes into effect, non-folding e-bikes will only be permitted on the Woolwich Ferry, certain river and coach services, and the dedicated Silvertown Tunnel Cycle Shuttle, which opens on April 7th.See More:

GeoGuessr on Steam looks an awful lot like GeoGuessr in a browser.12-year-old browser game GeoGuessr is getting a belated port to PC, with a new listing for the game now in the Steam Store. Despite its age, GeoGuessr will launch in Early Access when it goes on sale some time in April 2025.GeoGuessr first launched in 2013, and tasks players with figuring out their coordinates after being dropped into a random Google Street View location. Over the years its developed an unlikely competitive esports scene, which the Steam edition looks to capitalize on, with a focus on competitive modes and ranked play.The Steam listing explains that the game will remain in Early Access for at least six months, while the developers add new game modes, maps, and competitive features. At launch it will support ranked Solo Duels and unranked Team Duels, including cross-play with the browser version.What we dont know is exactly when in April GeoGuessr will launch on Steam, or how much it will cost. While the games browser version was initially free, it now only allows you to make three guesses per day before requiring a paid subscription, starting from $2.49 per month. GeoGuessrs iOS and Android apps are locked behind the $2.99 Pro Unlimited plan, but the Steam app will require a new account that will not be synced with existing Geoguessr accounts, so may have its own pricing structure.

Spring SaleLexar 1TB Play microSDXC Memory CardIf 1TB is too much for the device you have in mind, Amazon's Big Spring Sale has savings on models with smaller storage amounts, like $34.99 for 512GB or only $17.99 for 256GB. What's more, there are offers on the models with higher transfer speeds of 205MBs for even higher transfer speedslike the 1TB version now only being $87.77 or the 512GB for $42.88.The large-scale triple-A games released today are getting continuously bigger. Even ongoing games like Fortnite will take up over 20GB of your Nintendo Switch's base 32GB. If you want to be ready for any upcoming games as well, like Pokmon Legends Z-A, adding some extra storage like this will give you all the future-proofing you need.If youre looking to speed up your Switch or Steam Deck, Lexars Play microSDXC cards are a solid pick. Designed with portable gaming in mind, they use PCIe and NVMe tech to hit transfer speeds of up to 900MB/sthats four times faster than standard UHS-I microSD cards. Even at 160MB/s, this one keeps load times snappy.With storage options from 256GB to 1TB, youll have plenty of room for your games, and theyll load faster too. And its not just for gamingthese cards work with the ASUS ROG Ally, Legion Go, smartphones, tablets, and more. Perfect for storing music, movies, and books alongside your games.Ben Williams IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.

The latest Pokmon TCG set, Destined Rivals, has been fully unveiled and the first pre-orders are already underway. If you've been collecting for a while, it might not surprise you that it's been a fairly chaotic launch window though, with scalpers and store issues already reportedly plaguing the new set.Fully unveiled on March 24, Scarlet & Violet - Destined Rivals is set to launch starting on May 30, 2025. A few factors make this a particularly sought-after set. First, it marks the return of Trainer's Pokmon cards. Those old enough to remember vintage Trainer's Pokmon cards, like Brock's Sandslash or Rocket's Mewtwo, should take a moment to stretch their back and adjust their posture before expressing excitement for this returning archetype.They're popular ways of tying beloved Trainers into the actual Pokmon cards in cool ways. Additionally, Destined Rivals is also centered around Team Rocket, the bad-team faction of Pokmon's first generation. Suffice to say, much like Prismatic Evolutions and its Eevee-lutions earlier this year, Destined Rivals has the makings of a very popular set.Pokmon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Destined Rivals Pokmon Center Elite Trainer Box ImagesSo, when the pre-orders went live, it should be little surprise that frustration quickly ensued. People trying to get into the Pokmon Center website to buy an Elite Trainer Box, a themed box of packs and other niceties that's a common pick-up for people looking to crack into a set, were left staring in from the outside.And, still unsurprisingly, scalpers immediately hit online auctions like eBay with their ETB pre-orders. Listings of several hundred dollars for the typically $54.99 box were seen hitting the site. Again, this is for a confirmed pre-order of the Pokmon Center-specific ETB. Serebii's Joe Merrick summed it up well, outlining his own experience waiting for hours in queue to get a Destined Rivals ETB."I truly hate this," Merrick wrote. "The way almost all Pokemon TCG content has shifted to financial. The way that people just treat it as investment. The way people just want to flip it. It's disgusting. Shame on all involved."PlayThis is, sadly, par for the course. The aforementioned Prismatic Evolutions set had shortages, and the Blooming Waters 151 box also came and went fast. It's not uncommon to see notifications and signal-boosts of sets restocking on various retailers. Already, TPC has said in a FAQ online (per PokBeach) that more inventory of the Destined Rivals ETB will become available later this year.Even on top of scalper issues, some purchases are reporting that their ETB orders are being cancelled. Demand and popularity for the Pokmon TCG seem to be through the roof, but sadly, it also seems to be marring the actual hobby for most trying to just crack some packs or play some matches.While Pokmon TCG Pocket offers virtual solutions for the woes of physical scarcity, it's an understandable frustration for those who'd like to simply partake in the hobby. A stroll down your local store's card aisle will, more than likely, paint a clear picture of what it's like trying to pick up some packs right now. It's doubly frustrating when these drops have been exciting ones to see. Hopefully we see some remedies soon.Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

We noted ahead of the iPhone 16 launch that the device could technically support 8K video recording, but it was possible Apple would hold this back for the iPhone 17.Apple did indeed withhold it from the iPhone 16 arguably with good reason and a leaker with a decent track record backs our expectation that 8K video capability will be offered in the iPhone 17 line-up iPhone 16 video capabilitiesAll iPhone 16 models support 4K video recording. This includes slo-mo footage of 60fps on the standard, Plus, and 16e models and 120fps on the Pro and Pro Max.Ahead of the launch, we saw evidence that Apple had tested 8K recording on the iPhone 16 Pro models, but noted at the time that there was one reason not to include it.When it comes to videos, iPhone 16 Pro will shoot videos in 4K resolution at 120fps for the first time (iPhone 15 is currently limited to 4K 60fps) []Weve also seen evidence that Apple has tested 8K video filming with the iPhone 16 Pro. Since an 8K image is around 35 megapixels, both wide and ultra-wide lenses would have enough resolution to shoot 8K video. Of course, the new A18 Pro chip seems to be ready for 8K as well.However, its unclear whether Apple has decided to enable 8K on production devices, especially as the zoom lens would still be limited to 4K. Apple might save 8K for next years iPhones, which are rumored to have a new, higher resolution zoom lens.iPhone users expect to be able to switch between lenses while shooting, so it would be confusing if they were unable to switch to the telephoto lens while shooting 8K video.iPhone 17 expected to offer 8K videoThe iPhone 16 has a 12MP telephoto sensor, but the iPhone 17 will reportedly see a big jump to a 48MP telephoto camera. This means that all three cameras would be capable of shooting 8K video, and we expect Apple to offer the increased resolution in this years iPhones.Leaker Fixed Focus Digital, whose track record includes the Desert Titanium color and the iPhone 16e naming, now backs this. A somewhat awkward machine translation from Chinese includes the note:With 8K in hand, you should look forward to the iPhone 17 series.Highlighted accessoriesRender: Sonny DicksonAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Yesterday saw the latest episode in a Prosser versus Gurman battle over just how big a change well see in the look and feel of the user interface in iOS 19.Bloombergs Mark Gurman says hes seen evidence of a change almost as notable as that of iOS 7 back in 2013. Jon Prosser, on the other hand, says we should expect something far less dramatic Prosser versus GurmanGurman reported earlier this month that this year will see a completely new look to each of Apples key operating systems, as well as significant new functionality.Apple Inc. is preparing one of the most dramatic software overhauls in the companys history, aiming to transform the interface of the iPhone, iPad and Mac for a new generation of users.The revamp due later this year will fundamentally change the look of the operating systems [and] is loosely based on the Vision Pros software []The changes [] go well beyond a new design language and aesthetic tweaks. The software will mark the most significant upgrade to the Mac since the Big Sur operating system in 2020. For the iPhone, it will be the biggest revamp since iOS 7 in 2013.Jon Prosser, in contrast, is playing down expectations. While he did show a mockup of a significantly new-looking Camera app back in January, he yesterday shared that he says is a screenshot of the new Messages app which doesnt at all appear to indicate a radically new look. The changes shown are relatively minor tweaks.While most of the interface looks the same, we can see slightly redesigned buttons at the top. The buttons are now covered by a circle with a reflective glass effect, similar to visionOS. The iPhones virtual keyboard also seems to have been slightly redesigned, now with more rounded edges.He went further in a podcast episode with Sam Kohl, A lot of people have very high expectations for what this redesign is and as far as Im aware right now it doesnt meet those very high expectations [] so I hope people are just not you know super disappointed.He specifically addressed Gurmans reporting.Im not going to say that Mark Gurman is wrong [but] from what were seeing its not as substantial as its being made out to be. It is a redesign, some things do work slightly differently, but its not like iOS 7.Gurman hit back, not directly naming Prosser but clearly referencing him.iOS 19 images floating around arent representative of what well see at WWDC. They look to be based on either very old builds or vague descriptionsiOS 19 clues from AppleYesterday also brought us some clues direct from Apple. The company yesterday announced the dates for WWDC 2025, and the frosted glass graphic certainly appears to back the idea of a visionOS-inspired look.Parker Ortolani also suggested that an animation for the event creates high hopes for some super fun new motion design in the next releases.9to5Macs TakeWhile we know little at this stage, my money would be on iOS 19 being more toward the Gurman end of the scale than the Prosser one. Apples graphic absolutely backs the latters reports of a glassy, three-dimensional look.Its been a very long time since weve seen a fresh new UI look from Apple, so its certainly time and as I said previously, a new look will probably have a bigger impact than the long-awaited Siri improvements.Highlighted accessoriesGraphic: And machinesonUnsplashAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

When people think of cybersecurity threats, they often picture external hackers breaking into networks. However, some of the most damaging breaches stem from within organizations. Whether through negligence or malicious intent, insiders can expose your organization to significant cybersecurity risks.According to Verizon's 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, 57% of companies experience over 20 insider-related security incidents a year, with human error involved in 68% of data breaches. With that, insider attacks result in the highest costs, averaging USD 4.99 million per attack, as per the 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report by IBM Security. What are insider threats?An insider threat originates from within an organization it's the potential for anyone with authorized access to your critical systems to misuse their access, harming your organization. The worst part is that insiders are already within your IT perimeter and are familiar with your internal security protocols, which makes their illicit activity harder to detect.Insider threats fall into three primary categories:Malicious insiders employees or contractors intentionally abusing their access for financial gain, sabotage, IP theft, or espionage.Negligent insiders careless employees mishandling credentials, sharing passwords, or violating cybersecurity policies. Compromised insiders legitimate users who have been outsmarted by an external attacker.The consequences of insider threats range from financial losses and reputational damage to severe penalties for non-compliance with critical cybersecurity laws, regulations, and standards like GDPR, NIS2, or HIPAA.What makes insider threats especially dangerous is the level of access certain users have within an organization. Not all accounts are made equal privileged accounts, in particular, pose an increased risk.For example, in December 2024, an insider threat incident occurred within the U.S. Treasury Department when members of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team were mistakenly granted elevated access to critical payment systems. The DOGE team had the ability to read and modify sensitive system codes, which could lead to serious consequences for the U.S. Treasury Department and its clients. This situation underscores the necessity for robust Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions to prevent unauthorized access and potential system compromises.Why privileged accounts become a liabilityAccounts with elevated permissions are among the most desired targets for both insiders and external attackers. These accounts often have access to sensitive systems, enabling users to modify configurations and interact with critical data. When mismanaged, they can lead to privilege escalation, data exfiltration, operational disruptions, and other security incidents.By implementing PAM best practices and using dedicated solutions, organizations can considerably reduce their attack surface and minimize the risk of insider-driven breaches.Explore PAM's transformative impact on businesses in the white paper The Cyber Guardian: PAM's Role in Shaping Leadership Agendas for 2025 by a cybersecurity expert and former Gartner lead analyst Jonathan Care.How PAM helps mitigate insider threatsPrivileged access management solutions empower organizations to control, monitor, and secure privileged access effectively. Here's how PAM helps neutralize insider risks:1. Identifying and managing privileged accounts A common challenge for organizations is the lack of visibility into existing privileged accounts, which creates security blind spots. If you're not aware of some privileged accounts within your environment, you can't secure them.Advanced PAM solutions help automate privileged account discovery, identifying hidden and orphaned accounts within your environment. By continuously scanning and onboarding unmanaged privileged accounts, you can significantly reduce overlooked access points that could be exploited by bad actors.2. Supporting the principle of least privilegeOne of the core tenets of PAM is the principle of least privilege (PoLP), which ensures that employees, contractors, or service accounts are only granted access they require to perform their duties. PoLP ensures that no single user has unrestricted, standing privileges, which drastically reduces the risk of privilege misuse.PAM solutions help enforce PoLP by allowing security teams to dynamically adjust access based on users' roles and responsibilities. 3. Implementing just-in-time PAMPersistent privileged access increases the attack surface. For example, a developer working on a critical update may need temporary access to your production servers. However, if you leave their elevated permissions in place after the update is complete, this may create an unnecessary security risk. In the future, attackers can exploit those privileges to gain unauthorized access and move laterally within your network.PAM solutions like Syteca enable you to grant on-demand privileged access for specific tasks and revoke elevated access upon their completion.4. Enforcing identity-first approachAccording to Gartner's Identity and Access Management Primer for 2025 (subscription required), an identity-first approach is essential for modern organizational security. Adopting this approach means shifting from static network security measures to continuous adaptive trust and zero trust approaches that ensure user identities are verified and authorized before accessing sensitive systems.By applying multi-factor authentication to every access point, organizations can minimize unauthorized access and lateral movement across their systems. 5. Protecting remote access As remote work and third-party collaborations have become essential, ensuring secure access to your sensitive systems for external users is vital. PAM solutions can help you verify user identities and grant remote users time-limited, task-specific access to your systems.This level of control can help you ensure that your critical systems remain protected even when accessed from outside your corporate network, from diverse locations.6. Securing credentials with vaulting and rotationSimple, reused, or improperly stored passwords remain a major weak link for many organizations. PAM solutions can secure privileged credentials by storing them in an encrypted vault and automatically updating passwords, making compromised passwords useless over time.Centralized password management not only enhances security but also saves time for IT teams by eliminating manual password resets and reducing password-related service requests.7. Monitoring privileged activityWithout proper oversight of privileged user sessions, organizations can fail to detect early signs of insider threats, resulting in data breaches that are hard and costly to remediate.PAM solutions with user activity monitoring (UAM) capabilities enable security teams to oversee all interactions with critical systems in real time and, thus, spot events that could signify an insider threat. Comprehensive cybersecurity platforms like Syteca can flag potential insider threats by sending real-time notifications to security teams.8. Automating insider threat responseWith the automation provided by PAM solutions, organizations significantly reduce the time to detect and respond to insider threats, minimizing potential financial, operational, and reputational damage.For instance, Syteca not only sends real-time alerts on abnormal user activity but also automatically blocks suspicious users, warns them with a message, and blocks unapproved USB devices. Beyond insider threats: The other benefits of PAMWhile mitigating insider threats is a compelling reason to adopt PAM solutions, the advantages extend far beyond insider threat management. Enhancing operational efficiency. Automating access management with PAM tools reduces manual interventions and streamlines IT operations. Automation speeds up the provisioning and de-provisioning of access rights, reduces administrative overhead, and minimizes human errors. Consequently, IT teams can focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine tasks.Streamlining regulatory compliance. Many organizations must adhere to cybersecurity regulations that require strict access controls and thorough audits. PAM solutions streamline compliance by providing detailed logs of privileged account activities, simplifying the auditing process, and ensuring adherence to standards, laws, and regulations such as the GDPR, PCI DSS, and NIS2. Boosting employee productivity. With automated password management, secure password sharing between teams, and single sign-on features, many PAM solutions minimize the time employees spend dealing with access issues. This efficiency leads to increased productivity, as users can access necessary systems promptly without compromising security.Overall, implementing a robust PAM solution not only fortifies your organization's security against insider threats but also delivers a multitude of benefits that drive operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and productivity growth. By embracing PAM, you're investing in a secure, efficient, and resilient future for your organization.Syteca: Powerful, flexible, and cost-effective PAMSyteca is a comprehensive cybersecurity platform that provides a holistic approach to insider threat prevention. It offers robust privileged access management, advanced user activity monitoring, seamless SIEM integration, and support for multiple platforms. With a flexible licensing scheme, Syteca helps organizations of any size control who interacts with their critical data, ensuring the right people have the right permissions at the right time.Contact us to book a demo or request a free trial and see how Syteca can meet your specific cybersecurity needs. About the author: Ani Khachatryan, Syteca's Chief Technology Officer, started her journey in Syteca as a test manager. In this role, she successfully renovated the testing processes and helped integrate development best practices across the company. Her strong background in testing and striving for perfection helps Ani come up with unconventional solutions to technical and operational issues, while her deep expertise in cybersecurity establishes her as an expert in the industry.Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.

John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorMarch 26, 20255 Min ReadLiubomyr Vorona via Alamy Stock PhotoA long-dormant IT project that suddenly springs back to life can be both welcome and challenging. Teams must be reassembled, abandoned timelines reconfigured, and technologies and methodologies updated to reflect current practices and standards.The best way to launch a project revival is to look backward. "Conduct a thorough project reassessment to identify the root causes of delays, then re-prioritize deliverables using a phased, agile-based approach," suggests Karan Kumar Ratra, an engineering leader at Walmart specializing in e-commerce technology, leadership, and innovation. "Start with high-impact, manageable milestones to restore momentum and stakeholder confidence," he advises in an online interview. "Clear communication, accountability, and aligning leadership with revised goals are critical."Shanna Rahming, senior vice president of managed services for SDI Presence, an IT consulting and managed services provider, and former CIO for the State of Nevada, agrees that it's important to understand what actually caused the delay. Was it a lack of resources, such as funding, skills, tools, hardware, or staff? "After you know why it's off track, you can then determine what needs to be done to get the project completed," she advises in an online interview.Related:Once the delay's cause has been clearly defined, seek information and insights from the original team, Rahming advises. "Then the stakeholders and executives need to have that information communicated to them."The next step should be performing a root-cause analysis. "Identify whether the delay stemmed from unclear requirements, technical debt, resource gaps, or scope creep," Ratra says. "Engage stakeholders, document findings, and reset priorities based on what delivers the most value in the shortest time."Team RebuildingIts usually best to retain past core team members who understand the projects history and complexities but augment the team with new expertise where gaps exist, Ratra says. "Fresh perspectives often drive innovation and problem-solving, while experienced team members ensure continuity."Recall past team members, yet supplement them with new members with similar skills and project experience, recommends Pundalika Shenoy, automation and modernization project manager at business consulting firm Smartbridge, via email. "Outside perspectives and expertise will help the team."While new team members should be welcomed, try to retain at least some past contributors to ensure project continuity, Rahming advises. Fresh ideas and insights may be what the legacy project needs to succeed but try to retain at least some past contributors to ensure project continuity, Rahming advises. "The new team members may well bring a sense of urgency, enthusiasm and skills ... that weren't present in the previous team at the time of the delay."Related:Avoiding MistakesThe biggest mistake team leaders make is rushing into execution without first addressing root causes. "Restarting a project without fixing systemic issues, such as poor communication, unrealistic timelines, or unclear scope, can lead to repeated failures," Ratra warns. IT leaders must also avoid setting overly ambitious goals. "Start small, show progress, and scale up."Its easy to focus on simply catching up with deadlines or scrambling to get back on track, but if the underlying issues aren't addressed, the same problems will likely surface again, cautions Anbang Xu, founder of JoggAI, an AI-based video platform provider. "IT leaders sometimes ignore team dynamics, communication issues, or technical debt in favor of focusing on just getting the project finished," he explains in an email interview. "This can create a cycle of delay, further burnout and, ultimately, project failure."Related:Shenoy says the two big mistakes he repeatedly sees are adding additional resources without understanding the real issues and overcommitting without team consensus.Final ThoughtsTransparency and trust are essential for successful project recovery, Ratra says. "Leaders should foster an open culture of accountability and communicate realistic goals with stakeholders." Leveraging automation tools and using AI-driven project monitoring can also help identify bottlenecks early, ensuring the team remains on track and responsive.To keep the relaunched project on track, it's important to establish and monitor a detailed communication plan that regularly shares critical information with team members, Rahming says. There should also be buy-in from technology and business stakeholders.Build a unified staff culture that's committed to succeeding or failing as a team, Shenoy says. "Encourage transparency and active collaboration across the team and stakeholders."Managing delayed projects requires a deep understanding of adaptability and resilience, Xu observes. "In a fast-moving field, like AI, setbacks are inevitable," he notes. "But the ability to pivot, reassess, and lead your team with confidence makes all the difference."About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like