God of War Ragnarok is a game so large that it practically has a whole second game tucked away inside. And yet that still doesn't seem to be quite enough Norse action for Kratos. During The Game Awards, Sony revealed a Valhalla-centric expansion for the 2022 hit. 

Not only that, it's free. And it's coming next week, on December 12, to both PS4 and PS5 versions of the base game.

Much like with the No Return mode in the upcoming The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Sony is leaning into the roguelite format here. In the trailer, Kratos is shown getting slammed into the ground by a wyvern. He then wakes up to hear Mimir telling him there's "no shame in what just happened. It's all part of the process. Let's go again!"

On each run, you'll have to contend with fresh combinations of enemies and some surprises, according to the PlayStation Blog. The more enemies you take down, the more resources you'll earn to put towards permanent upgrades. While you'll have access to Kratos' skill trees from the main game, you'll need to stick with one shield and one Spartan Rage path on each run. You'll also unlock temporary perks as you progress through each attempt.

And don't worry too much if that all seems daunting. There are five difficulty settings to choose from and there will still be an extensive array of accessibility options at your disposal. 

It seems the DLC will dig into a new part of Kratos' story as well. "Embark with Kratos to Valhalla on a deeply personal and reflective journey towards a future he never thought possible," the trailer's YouTube description reads. That suggests the expansion will lead into the next game in the series. While you can jump into Valhalla at any time, the developer recommend finishing the base game's main story first. That's because the DLC acts as an epilogue.

There have been rumors floating around for a while that Santa Monica Studio was working on DLC for God of War Ragnarok. That it will be available at no extra cost (and so soon!) is a nice little holiday treat for fans.

The Game Awards got off to a flying start with a string of fascinating announcements during the pre-show. One of the freshly revealed games that's coming your way soon is Thrasher, which is from the artist and composer behind the 2016 nightmare-inducing factory Thumper. 

Thrasher will see you take control of a space eel at the dawn of time. You'll need to master "fast-paced gesture controls" to evolve this creature into a so-called megabeast. While it might not be a direct sequel to Thumper, the trailer suggests it'll share some of the previous game's DNA. It seems like there will once again be mind-melting visuals to match a pulsating, anxious soundtrack. I'm terrified already.

Thrasher is coming to PC, consoles and virtual reality platforms in 2024.

Folks who have gotten used to using Venmo to pay for goods on Amazon will have to switch to another payment method to renew their Prime membership or order goods. Amazon is ditching Venmo as a direct payment option just 14 months after enabling it.

It's no longer possible to add Venmo as an Amazon payment option. Those who already have Venmo enabled in their Amazon wallet can use it to check out until January 10. Amazon told customers that it will still accept Venmo debit and credit cards.

Amazon has not disclosed why it's getting rid of Venmo as a direct payment option. However, it told CNBC that customers still have almost a dozen other payment methods to choose from. A Venmo spokesperson told the outlet that “We have a strong relationship with Amazon and look forward to continuing to build on it.“

For what it's worth, Amazon doesn't accept direct payments from PayPal, Venmo's parent company, either. As with Venmo, though, it allows customers to pay with PayPal debit cards.

THQ Nordic has once again delayed its reboot of Alone in the Dark. The revival of the totemic survival horror series was originally supposed to debut in October before the publisher pushed back the release date to January. THQ Nordic now says that Alone in the Dark will arrive on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on March 20, 2024.

The main reason for the latest delay is to prevent the folks at developer Pieces Interactive from having to work long hours over the holidays to ensure the game would ship next month. "With our initially planned release date in January 2024, the Christmas season would have been filled with stress and anything but a jolly time for them," THQ Nordic said in a statement.

"The well-being of the teams is a top priority, and both companies want to avoid any potential crunch over the Christmas holidays," the publisher added. "Furthermore, THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive want to ensure that the game not only meets but exceeds the expectations of the community, especially with the outstanding performances of Hollywood stars David [Harbour] and Jodie [Comer] as the main protagonists."

A delay from January to March shouldn't be a huge deal for the publisher, given that the game will still arrive in the same financial quarter. That said, given THQ Nordic's parent company Embracer is in the midst of an intense cost-cutting drive, the publisher will want to give Alone in the Dark every chance possible of becoming a hit.

Disney Bundle subscribers in the US should now be seeing some more general entertainment fare popping up on Disney+. The long-awaited integration of Hulu into the company's namesake streaming platform is underway. Disney has added a Hulu tab to the platform for those with a bundle subscription. The company is calling this a limited beta of Hulu on Disney+ ahead of a broader rollout in the spring.

The Hulu tab appears alongside those for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic on the Disney+ homepage. Clicking or tapping on the tab will take you to a Hulu Hub, which features thousands of movies and shows, including episodes that aired on TV the day before. The idea is to make it easier for subscribers to access everything they might want to watch from within the same app.

According to Disney, by rolling out the Hulu tab in beta to begin with, subscribers will have time to set up parental controls and family profiles if they haven't already done so. That should help them stop kids from watching movies and shows that perhaps aren't age appropriate.

It's worth noting that the integration won't spell the end for Hulu (which Disney will soon take full ownership of) as a separate app. You'll still need that to access the Hulu + Live TV and Premium add ons, for instance. Additionally, you'll have to go to the Hulu app for the service's full on-demand library. 

It seems that nothing much will change for folks in other countries as things stand. Disney+ subscribers in many territories already have access to Hulu originals as well as titles from the ABC, Disney and 20th Century back catalog through the Star tab.

Overwatch 2's eighth season went live on Tuesday and things aren't exactly going smoothly for everyone. Some are complaining about performance issues, particularly concerning frame rates on PlayStation 5. On Blizzard's own forums and Reddit, players are suggesting that even the menus are lagging on the console.

"I play on PS5 with 120 Hz monitor and settings for that output, but randomly either in [fights] or walking back from spawn, even on menus, I am dropping down to what seems like single digit to low double digit frames per second," a player who goes by Sartell wrote. Others claim that Overwatch 2 is "unplayable" on PS5 at the minute, with some claiming that frame rates are dropping to below 20 fps. The problem doesn't seem to be as prevalent on other platforms.

I encountered the same issues in a brief test on PS5. It took a few seconds for my character to complete a full rotation, which can practically be a kiss of death in such a fast-paced shooter. It was almost like playing GoldenEye 007 at 12 fps all over again.

In the current list of known issues, which was last updated on Tuesday, Blizzard notes that "We are investigating reports of performance issues for some platforms." Engadget has asked Blizzard when a fix might be ready.

The performance issues are a pity in general, but even more so given that new tank character Mauga is a blast to play. As such, PS5 players may need wait for a hotfix before they can properly check out the latest hero, unless they're content with enjoying the action as though it were a colorful slideshow. Otherwise, downloading the PS4 version of the game could work in a pinch.

Honda is planning to make a bigger push into the EV market as part of its goal of introducing 30 electric models by 2030. We’ll soon get a look at a new EV series from the automaker, as it’s preparing to show off the lineup for the first time at CES 2024. We’ll get our first glimpse of these EVs during a press conference on January 9. The event starts at 1:30PM ET and you’ll be able to watch it below.

The automaker hasn’t revealed many more details about the new EV series. However, it did note that it will detail "several key technologies that illustrate the significant transformation Honda is currently undergoing." Honda is aiming to only sell zero-emission vehicles in North America by 2040, including battery electric and fuel cell electric powered models.

As it stands, the company has quite a bit of work ahead to hit that goal and perhaps catch up with its more EV-focused rivals. Currently, Honda has the all-electric Prologue SUV (which isn't available to the public yet) and two hybrids in its electrified lineup. In fact, it has killed off multiple hybrid models over the last few years..

New Mexico is the latest jurisdiction to accuse Meta of failing to protect younger users. The state attorney general's office filed suit against the company this week after investigators set up test accounts on Instagram and Facebook in which they claimed to be preteens or teenagers. They used AI-generated profile photos for the accounts. The AG's office asserts that the accounts were barraged by explicit messages and images, along with sexual propositions from users. It also claimed that Meta's algorithms recommended sexual content to the test accounts.

The suit claims that “Meta has allowed Facebook and Instagram to become a marketplace for predators in search of children upon whom to prey," according to The Wall Street Journal. In addition, it asserts that Meta failed to employ measures to stop those under 13 from using its platforms and that CEO Mark Zuckerberg was personally liable for product choices that increased risks to children.

To get around Meta's age restrictions, investigators provided the company with adult dates of birth while setting up phony accounts for four children (kids often misstate their ages to access online services that they're not supposed to). However, they implied that the accounts were being used by children — one posted about losing a baby tooth and starting seventh grade. Per the suit, investigators also set up the account to make it seem as though the fictional child's mother was possibly trafficking her.

The suit alleges that, among other things, the accounts were sent child sex images and offers to pay for sex. Two days after investigators set up an account for a phony 13-year-old girl, Meta's algorithms suggested it follow a Facebook account with upwards of 119,000 followers that posted adult porn.

Investigators flagged inappropriate material (including some images that appeared to be of nude and underaged girls) through Meta's reporting systems. According to the suit, Meta's systems often found these images to be permissible on its platforms.

In a statement to the Journal, Meta claimed it prioritizes child safety and invests heavily in safety teams. “We use sophisticated technology, hire child safety experts, report content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and share information and tools with other companies and law enforcement, including state attorneys general, to help root out predators,” the company said. Meta has also claimed that it carries out work to stop malicious adults from contacting children on its platforms.

Earlier this year, Meta set up a task force to tackle child safety issues after reports indicated Instagram's algorithms helped accounts that commissioned and bought underage-sex material to find each other. Just last week, the Journal reported on the alleged prevalence of child exploitation material on Instagram and Facebook. According to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, a “network of Instagram accounts with as many as 10 million followers each has continued to livestream videos of child sex abuse months after it was reported to the company." Meta says it has taken action over such issues.

The New Mexico lawsuit follows suits that a group of 41 states and the District of Columbia filed in October. Among other matters, they alleged that the company knew its "addictive" aspects were harmful to young users and that it misled people about safety on its platforms.

Amid COVID-prompted lockdowns, many major movies skipped US theaters entirely and went straight to streaming services. Those included the Pixar films Soul, Luca and Turning Red, all of which debuted on Disney+. In 2024, though, you'll get the chance to see those animated films on the big screen. Soul will get a theatrical release on January 12, Turning Red will hit cinemas on February 9 and Luca will emerge on a silver screen near you on March 22.

Given that these movies have been around for as long as three years, it's unlikely that they'll set the box office charts alight. But the theatrical releases mean you'll have a chance to enjoy these films as originally intended.

They could also help pad out Disney's bottom line a bit during a rough spell for the company. Among other issues, Disney is slated to release just one Marvel movie next year, Deadpool 3. In addition, the three Pixar films will act as a lead up to the studio's next film and perhaps help get very young viewers accustomed to going to the movies. Inside Out 2 will arrive in theaters on June 14.

Super Nintendo World Japan will soon become a hotter ticket for many fans. Universal Studios has revealed that a Donkey Kong Country area will open in Spring 2024. Nintendo and Universal (which hosts the theme park at its Osaka location) haven't shown off actual footage of the new zone yet. Instead, they opted to make the announcement with an animated trailer.

Perhaps the main attraction of the new area is a ride called Mine Cart Madness, named after the best level in the 1994 SNES game Donkey Kong Country. After being blasted out of a barrel cannon, you'll take a mine cart ride through the jungle that includes a "leap across a collapsed track."

According to Universal, fans will also be able to try a play experience that prompts them to use their whole body. Of course, food and merchandise will be available too.

Nintendo confirmed in 2021 that the Donkey Kong Country area was under construction at Universal Studios Japan. It's said to expand the overall size of Super Nintendo World by 70 percent. The new area will open to the public two years after visitors started exploring the first Mushroom Kingdom-themed zone. Meanwhile, the Orlando version of Super Nintendo World isn't expected to open until 2025.