Spoiler Warning: This article contains major spoilers for God of War Ragnarok

If you've reached the point where you meet Heimdall in God of War Ragnarok, you'll know that he's kind of insufferable. Even God of War Ragnarok director Eric Williams thinks so, calling the Norse God of Foresight a "d*ck."

Speaking with IGN's Podcast Beyond for a special spoilercast interview of God of War Ragnarok, Williams explained the decision to make Heimdall so annoying. According to Williams, it started with his power, which is to be able to anticipate an opponent's every move.

"So we try to look at all these gods where they have these abilities, but they're not always good. You know what I mean? And I don't mean that in a sense of their nature. The ability's not always a good thing," Williams explains.

He points to Baldur, better-known as The Stranger in the original 2018 release, noting that the pair are similar. In God of War, Baldur is invulnerable to all threats thanks to a spell from his mother Freya, but it also means that he can't feel anything.

"Imagine what that would do to you as a person if you can't feel anything at all. It's going to drive you crazy at some point. You're going to be a little messed up," Williams explains. "So we were like, 'Well, if you could always see what people's intentions are, what would that do to you?' And he's just like, you can't be around people," He's like, 'Everybody's gross. They always want something or there's a reason behind it.' So he's just kind of shut off."

Nobody liked Heimdall, but that was a good thing

In God of War Ragnarok, Heimdall is one of Kratos' major opponents. The actual Heimdall from Norse mythology isn't quite as awful as his counterpart — Williams calls the game's characterization a "creative decision," though he also notes that the actual religion has been "pushed through the ringer so many different times."

"We put the God of War paint on it. The one thing that I did take is, I read this one time somewhere, is he had gold teeth. And I was like, 'Oh, that's even make him more obnoxious,' so we'll get him gold teeth," Williams says. "And yeah, we just wanted him to be the... What do we say? We wanted him to have the most punchable face."

Heimdall is played by Scott Porter, who Williams says "absolutely crushed that character." According to Williams, Porter wondered why Heimdall wasn't being promoted in the run-up to God of War's release, but the development team held him back because they wanted the character to be a surprise.

"We had seen the playtest feedback, and everything you guys are saying echoed across like 20 playtests. And I'd send [Porter] the little quips, and he'd be like, 'But do they like him?' And I was like, 'No, but that's a good thing,'" Williams says.

The actual fight with Heimdall — hailed as among the best in the game — proved quite challenging for Sony Santa Monica.

"That fight is a hard fight. How do you make a fight where you can't hit a guy. These are those kind of challenges we like to take on," Williams says. "And Adam Oliver, the main combat designer on that, he was new to the studio, never built a boss fight before, so it was a big challenge for him, and he struggled for a bit but he stayed after it. And I think it's one of those... you won't forget that fight."

He points to the moment when Kratos finally hits Heimdall, noting that he clips him with Draupnir — the ring that serves as the source for the spear that enables Kratos to finally get past Heimdall's foresight. "It's just those little touches for us that are special."

'A d*ck at his core'

Ultimately, while Williams is sympathetic to Heimdall's struggles, he also feels that he's a "d*ck at his core."

"[I]t's that part piled on top of it that, and that's why when he is looking at the kid for the first time and he starts saying wild stuff like, 'I see cities burn because of you,' it's like he's not making that up. He really sees this in him," Williams says. "And so we were like, 'Okay, if you take that, then there's almost a reasoning behind it.' It doesn't excuse it, but you could almost go, 'Well, if I could, yeah, I wouldn't want to be around people either, because people are going to kind of suck sometimes.' Not always, but they do. And so we wanted to give them these kind of dualities to their abilities that also kind of make their personalities the way they are."

We discussed plenty more of God of War Ragnarok's story during our wide-ranging interview with Williams, including the big Tyr twist; the full story behind Ragnarok's newest weapon, and the three things that it needed according to Cory Barlog.

You can also read our review, where we described Sony Santa Monica's recently-released sequel as an "almighty achievement."

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.

Nintendo has announced that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass Wave 3 will bring eight new tracks to the game on December 7.

Revealed in a new trailer (below), Nintendo shared the release date alongside confirmation of which tracks would join the previously announced Merry Mountain from Mario Kart Tour and Peach Gardens from Mario Kart DS in the Rock and Moon cups.

Also included in Wave 3 is Maple Treeway from Mario Kart Wii, Rainbow Road and Rock Rock Mountain from Mario Kart 7, Boo Lake from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Berlin Byways and London Loop also from Mario Kart Tour.

The eight tracks will only be available as part of the $24.99 Booster Course Pass and not as an individual add-on, though purchasing the DLC also grants users to the 16 previously released courses and another 24 in 2023.

The Booster Course DLC kicked off in March with Wave 1 bringing Paris Promenade, Toad Circuit, Choco Mountain, Coconut Mall, Tokyo Blur, Shroom Ridge, Sky Garden, and Ninja Hideaway to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Wave 2, which was released in July, saw Sky-High Sundae, Kalimari Desert, Mario Circuit 3, Mushroom Gorge, Sydney Sprint, Waluigi Pinball, Snow Land, and New York Minute added. When all six waves have been released at the end of 2023, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will have over half of the courses ever released.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla will get its final DLC - The Last Chapter - on December 6, but it will unfortunately not be getting the "highly requested" New Game+ feature.

Ubisoft shared the news in a blog, and it revealed The Last Chapter will wrap up "two amazing years of launch suport." The Last Chapter will arrive alongside Title Update 1.6.2, and it will serve as a "touching and intimate conclusion to Eivor's saga" and will "tie up some of the storylines developed throughout the game and offer closure to your time among the Raven Clan."

Those who wish to see the end of Eivor's story will need to complete a few things, and the full list is as follows;

• Complete the main storyline by pledging to all territories of England
• Complete the mythical story arcs of Asgard and Jotunheim
• Upgrade your settlement to level 5 and construct the Jomsviking barracks
• Kill all targets of the Order of the Ancients and unveil its leader

Ubisoft also confirmed it will no longer be running time-limited festival events in Ravensthorpe. However, all rewards from past festivals will be avaialble at Merchants after the quest The FIrst Night of Samhain is completed. There will also be brand-new rewards as a "thank you for your continued support."

As for New Game+, which Ubisoft acknowledged was a "highly requested feature," it will not be added to the game.

"Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has been built as a unique Assassin’s Creed experience, one that is very different from its predecessors in its structure, offering new ways of engaging with the world and its characters," Ubisoft wrote. "When investigating the implementation of New Game+, we realized that the depth of the game gave us limited options to make replayability unique and rewarding."

While New Game+ won't be coming, there will be a few new additions before Ubisoft shifts its Assassin's Creed focus to future titles, including an option to keep your hood up at any time. There will also be a few more surprises, but Ubisoft is saving those for its "final farewell."

As the sun sets at Valhalla, another sun is rising for Assassin's Creed Infinity, a new platform and hub for future Assassin's Creed games. Ubisoft has revealed that the first two games that will be part of Infinity will include one that follows the life of a Shinobi in feudal Japan and another helmed by Watch Dogs: Legion director Clint Hocking that looks to have something to do with witchcraft.

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.

The Walt Disney Co. is experiencing a major and very unexpected corporate shake-up, as current CEO Bob Chapek is stepping down from his position and being replaced by his predecessor, Bob Iger.

The news was revealed by Disney's board of directors on Sunday. This change takes effect immediately, as Iger returns to a role he only vacated in 2020. Iger's new contract will see him serve as CEO for the next two years.

“We thank Bob Chapek for his service to Disney over his long career, including navigating the company through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic,” said Chairman of the Board Susan Arnold in a statement. “The Board has concluded that as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely situated to lead the Company through this pivotal period.”

This news comes just days after Chapek notified company executives of a new series of cost-cutting measures, including layoffs, targeted hiring freezes and travel limits. Disney's recent quarterly earnings report showed troubling signs for the company, including a loss of nearly $1.5 billion in the streaming division, causing the company's stock price to drop to a two-year low.

"I am fully aware this will be a difficult process for many of you and your teams," Chapek said. "We are going to have to make tough and uncomfortable decisions. But that is just what leadership requires, and I thank you in advance for stepping up during this important time. Our company has weathered many challenges during our 100-year history, and I have no doubt we will achieve our goals and create a more nimble company better suited to the environment of tomorrow.”

Iger previously served as CEO of The Walt Disney Co. from 2005 to 2020. During his tenure, Iger oversaw a period of huge expansion for the company, including the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox, as well as the launch of the Disney+ streaming service. Chapek previously served as head of Parks, Experiences, and Products and as Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts before being promoted to CEO in February 2020.

Chapek's brief time on the job has been marked by various pandemic-related challenges and a fair degree of turmoil, beginning with a major falling-out between Iger and Chapek. Chapek also drew criticism for his handling of the pay dispute between the studio and Black Widow Scarlett Johansson, as well as his initial response to Florida's controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill.

“I am extremely optimistic for the future of this great company and thrilled to be asked by the Board to return as its CEO,” Iger said in a statement. “Disney and its incomparable brands and franchises hold a special place in the hearts of so many people around the globe—most especially in the hearts of our employees, whose dedication to this company and its mission is an inspiration. I am deeply honored to be asked to again lead this remarkable team, with a clear mission focused on creative excellence to inspire generations through unrivaled, bold storytelling.”

It's clear the Disney board hopes to return to the stability and growth marked by Iger's previous tenure as CEO. However, the company continues to face major economic headwinds and cutthroat competition in the streaming marketplace, so it remains to be seen if Chapek's second stint will prove as successful.

Do you think Disney's board made the right call? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Jason David Frank, the actor best known for donning the Green and White Ranger personas as Tommy Oliver in the original run of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, has died at the age of 49.

As reported by TMZ, Frank's representative, Justine Hunt, confirmed he died in Texas.

"Please respect the privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being," Hunt said. "He loved his family, friends and fans very much. He will truly be missed."

Frank was there for the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in 1993 and began his tenure as the Green Ranger, who was working against the heroes and for the evil alien sorceress Rita Repulsa. He would eventually become a hero himself, and would even become the White Ranger and the new leader of the team.

Frank was only supposed to be on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers for 14 episodes, but he was brought back due to the popularity of the character. He would become a staple in the franchise, and would also appear in Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers DinoThunder, and more.

While he was cast in a few other movies and shows, he became a professional fighter from 2008-2010 as he was an expert in a handful of martial arts styles. He even created his own style of American Karate called Toso Kune Do and was inducted to the World Karate Union Hall of Fame in 2003.

Jason David Frank is survived by his four children.

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

Ryan Reynolds has revealed that he, along with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, wrote a "full Deadpool Christmas movie" that has yet to be made.

As reported by THR, Reynolds was speaking to Big Issue about his new Christmas movie with Will Ferrell called Spirited and he shared some extra holiday cheer by teasing that a completed screenplay of a Deadpool Christmas movie exists. Unfortunately, it got "lost in the shuffle" when Disney acquired Fox.

"I would love to see a song-and-dance number in a Deadpool movie,” Reynolds said. “Four years ago, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and I wrote a Christmas movie starring Deadpool. But it got lost in the shuffle of Disney acquiring Fox and it never got made.

"Maybe one day we’ll get to make that movie. It’s not a musical, but it’s a full Deadpool Christmas movie. So one day.”

While it wasn't a Christmas movie, Once Upon a Deadpool did feature a holiday theme. For those unfamiliar, Once Upon a Deadpool is a PG-13 version of Deadpool 2 that sees Deadpool narrating the story of the sequel to a kidnapped Fred Savage.

Savage is tied to a bed in a room that is a replica of his character's bedroom from The Princess Bride, complete with Christmas-themed items. As the movie progresses, Savage interjects with objections about the story.

While it may be some time until we see this fabled Deadpool Christmas movie, we will be treated to a Deadpool 3 on September 6, 2024, that is set to star Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool alongside Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.

For more, check out our six biggest burning questions about the upcoming team-up and why we think Wolverine is long overdue for a yellow costume.

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.

Spoilers for a side quest in God of War Ragnarok are ahead!

God of War Ragnarok has a sidequest that is a beautiful tribute to Jake Snipes, a gameplay programmer at Santa Monica Studio that passed away in 2020.

The side quest in question is called Across the Realms, and its significance was shared on Twitter by Sam Handrick, a senior gameplay programmer at Santa Monica Studio who was also Snipes' partner.

There's something in God of War Ragnarok which is the most special to me. I got to pitch it and the team made it into everything I could have hoped.

I had hoped to wait for some time to talk about it but want to share it now, just in case.

It's the Ballad of Jari and Somr. pic.twitter.com/S9itiutGbq

— Sam Handrick (@MDSVeritas) November 18, 2022

"There's something in God of War Ragnarok which is the most special to me," Handrick wrote. "I got to pitch it and the team made it into everything I could have hoped. I had hoped to wait for some time to talk about it but want to share it now, just in case. It's the Ballad of Jari and Somr."

Those traveling through God of War Ragnarok's world may have noticed the first signs of the side quest by the green hearts that are painted on rocks across the realms, and the origin of them and the quest began with an idea by Handrick and Snipes formed years ago.

The two would talk about how much they'd "love to leave some symbol of us in Ragnarok. Some indication within this game that had been the reason we'd first met, our first game made together. He once suggested simply a heart, with our initials in Norse runes, carved into this world we made."

We'd talk about how much we'd love to leave some symbol of us in Ragnarok. Some indication within this game that had been the reason we'd first met, our first game made together. He once suggested simply a heart, with our initials in Norse runes, carved into this world we made pic.twitter.com/3QpcS5MMNu

— Sam Handrick (@MDSVeritas) November 18, 2022

Sadly, Snipes passed away in 2020. Once Handrick was able to return to work, he knew he wanted to make God of War Ragnarok "everything [Snipes] deserved." He also wanted to ensure Snipes' memory would forever live on in the game.

Snipes asked God of War director Eric Williams if it would be possible to include a memorial to Jake in the games, and he "made it so much more."

"I told Eric and the team about Jake's suggestion of our initials carved into a heart," Handrick shared. "And he and the team returned with that and something even more special. A story of two men who find each other in an often cruel world, and who find a place to belong simply with each other.

"I wanted this story to be one many queer people know: journeying through a world that doesn't always understand you to find a place that truly feels like home. And sometimes that place is simply a person. And something as simple as a recipe can be a link back to that home."

During the quest, you will happen upon a rainbow campfire that "never stops burning." This is part of the memory of Jake that will live on forever more.

This fire never stops burning. Through the coldest days, through the nights you don't want to live through. It will stand in this world we at @SonySantaMonica created for all of time, carrying the story of a man in whom I found something unnamable. Something I still carry now. pic.twitter.com/I9XbP5DGJZ

— Sam Handrick (@MDSVeritas) November 18, 2022

"This fire never stops burning," Handrick said. "Through the coldest days, through the nights you don't want to live through. It will stand in this world we at @SonySantaMonica created for all of time, carrying the story of a man in whom I found something unnamable. Something I still carry now."

The quest, for those curious, has you traveling across the realms to find four ingredients that will create a Meal of Comfort that permanently increases all of your stats by five. It is a "delicious creation that warms the body and soul."

For more on God of War Ragnarok, be sure to check out our review, how its puzzle-filled level design is a gift from the gods, and how some on the team said, three months before the highly-anticipated sequel launched, "holy crap, the game's not good."

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.

The official Twitter account of former United States President Donald Trump has been reinstated by Elon Musk.

The decision to bring Trump back to Twitter was made official following a poll posted by Musk on November 18 that asked if he should "reinstate former President Trump." After over 15 million votes, 51.8% of the voters said yes, he should return.

After the poll ended, Musk tweeted, "The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated, Vox Populi, Vox Dei." For those unfamiliar, Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a Latin phrase that roughly translates to "the voice of the people is the voice of god."

Twitter, well before Musk bought the company for $44 billion, permanently banned Trump's Twitter account shortly after the attack on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, by Trump supporters.

"After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them -- specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter -- we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence," Twitter wrote in a blog.

Twitter cited two tweets from Trump on January 8, 2021, that led to the decision, and they are as follows;

“The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future," Trump wrote. "They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!”

Shortly after, he made his final Tweet - “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”

"Due to the ongoing tensions in the United States, and an uptick in the global conversation in regards to the people who violently stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, these two Tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President’s statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks," Twitter wrote. "After assessing the language in these Tweets against our Glorification of Violence policy, we have determined that these Tweets are in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy and the user @realDonaldTrump should be immediately permanently suspended from the service."

Trump was also banned on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and he moved over to another platform called Parler, which had been particularly popular with his supporters. However, the platform was quickly removed from Apple's App Store and Google Play Store as it hadn't taken adequate measures to "address the proliferation of these threats to people’s safety."

On November 18, Musk announced a new Twitter policy - "freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach." This means "negative/hate tweets will be max deboosted & demonetized, so no ads or other revenue to Twitter. You won’t find the tweet unless you specifically seek it out, which is no different from rest of Internet."

In the same thread, he announced that Kathie Griffin, Jorden Peterson, and Babylon Bee would be reinstated on Twitter, but a decision on Trump had not been made yet. Now, it has.

For more on the ongoing saga following Musk's acquisition of Twitter, be sure to check out our look at the complete timeline of the news so far.

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.

James Gunn has had a busy few months.

The new co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios is currently finishing up his final Marvel projects, including the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special as well as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn admits that writing the Holiday Special, a 44-minute special presentation, was a bit easy.

“I’ll be honest, I wrote the screenplay in a few hours, so it just kind of spilled out of me. It was very easy,” Gunn said. “Everything about shooting it was easy. Everything about getting the performances out of people was easy, whereas Vol. 3 was torture in every way.”

Gunn didn't elaborate on why Guardians of Galaxy Vol. 3 was so torturous, though his complex history with the series and the fact that it's his final MCU movie might be a clue. Gunn is currently deep into post-production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, calling it "emotional."

“It’s a big movie, and it’s so different from the special because the special is so wacky and insane," the director said. "The movie is so emotional, but it’s been a real joy making it. So it’s coming along great. I still have a ton of visual effect shots I’m working on, and of course, putting the score together with John Murphy, which is gigantic. So those are the things I’ve been focusing on most, lately.”

The Holiday Special, meanwhile, will see the Guardians taking on Christmas as Drax and Mantis try to help Peter Quill rediscover his love of Christmas. How will they ever do that? Well, they decide to gift him his favorite actor, Kevin Bacon.

"The idea of doing a holiday special with the Guardians was both a really funny idea to me and also something I really wanted to do," Gunn said. "And once I sat down and started trying to figure out what the story was, the Kevin Bacon idea came up very, very quickly, and I wrote the whole story within a few hours."

Guardians 3 will be Gunn's last project in the Marvel Studios franchise before he dives head-in to leading DC Studios through a new era. Alongside Peter Safran, the duo look to be the Kevin Feige of DC, and they are very busy planning the next decade of programming. However, it seems the duo is planning to unveil their master plan soon.

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.

James Gunn has had a busy few months.

The new co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios is currently finishing up his final Marvel projects, including the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special as well as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn admits that writing the Holiday Special, a 44-minute special presentation, was a bit easy.

“I’ll be honest, I wrote the screenplay in a few hours, so it just kind of spilled out of me. It was very easy,” Gunn said. “Everything about shooting it was easy. Everything about getting the performances out of people was easy, whereas Vol. 3 was torture in every way.”

Gunn didn't elaborate on why Guardians of Galaxy Vol. 3 was so torturous, though his complex history with the series and the fact that it's his final MCU movie might be a clue. Gunn is currently deep into post-production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, calling it "emotional."

“It’s a big movie, and it’s so different from the special because the special is so wacky and insane," the director said. "The movie is so emotional, but it’s been a real joy making it. So it’s coming along great. I still have a ton of visual effect shots I’m working on, and of course, putting the score together with John Murphy, which is gigantic. So those are the things I’ve been focusing on most, lately.”

The Holiday Special, meanwhile, will see the Guardians taking on Christmas as Drax and Mantis try to help Peter Quill rediscover his love of Christmas. How will they ever do that? Well, they decide to gift him his favorite actor, Kevin Bacon.

"The idea of doing a holiday special with the Guardians was both a really funny idea to me and also something I really wanted to do," Gunn said. "And once I sat down and started trying to figure out what the story was, the Kevin Bacon idea came up very, very quickly, and I wrote the whole story within a few hours."

Guardians 3 will be Gunn's last project in the Marvel Studios franchise before he dives head-in to leading DC Studios through a new era. Alongside Peter Safran, the duo look to be the Kevin Feige of DC, and they are very busy planning the next decade of programming. However, it seems the duo is planning to unveil their master plan soon.

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.