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Today, Gearbox Publishing and Cryptic Studios announced that Neverwinter’s 24th module, Northdark Reaches, is available now for free on PC (Arc Games, Epic Games Store, and Steam) and PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Inspired by the hit trilogy book series, The Way of the Drow, from New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore, Northdark Reaches introduces the first part of a two-part campaign written in collaboration with R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore. This epic new adventure lets players and D&D fans alike experience the events that take place in between Starlight Enclave and Glacier’s Edge, the first two books of The Way of the Drow series. For the first time ever, players will encounter beloved characters from Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms, such as the myconid Rumpadump, Saribel Xorlarrin Do’Urden, and Minolin Fey, as they explore a new region of the Underdark. Additionally, today’s new free update brings the first persistent Underdark Adventure Zone, including a new campaign, epic quests, challenging bosses, new rewards, and a major content update to the “Temple of the Spider” dungeon.
“I was thrilled to team up again with the Neverwinter team at Cryptic,” said R.A. Salvatore, New York Times bestselling author. “Working with the team for Neverwinter’s 8th module, Underdark was fantastic, so when the team asked if I wanted to work with them on a new two-part adventure for the game, I gladly accepted the opportunity. Being able to expand the Way of the Drow universe within the game was something I couldn’t pass up. I hope all Neverwinter players, especially those Drow and Way of the Drow fans, enjoy embarking on this new adventure and getting to experience the beginning of what’s to come!”
“I love writing stories for games, so when the opportunity to help write this new adventure for Neverwinter was presented to us, I absolutely wanted to work on it,” said Geno Salvatore, co-author of the Stone of Tymora trilogy and The Legend of Drizzt graphic novel series. “Northdark Reaches is my first experience working on Neverwinter, but it was incredible working with the team on it as they’re able to take so many different parts of D&D and put them in the game so well. I’m excited for fans to dive into Northdark Reaches and see for themselves how it’s a love letter to the D&D and Way of the Drow universe.”
“Collaborating with R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore on Northdark Reaches has been a dream come true for the Neverwinter team,” said Winter Mullenix, Narrative Director for Neverwinter. “Our designers and artists worked very hard to bring this exciting new region of the Underdark to life, and I personally cannot wait for players to experience the stories we crafted together.”
In Neverwinter: Northdark Reaches, players discover that far beneath the storied mountains of Faerûn lie the Northdark Reaches, a sprawling frontier that skirts the Underdark’s fallen civilization of Ched Nasad. It is in this deadly and forgotten place that Braelin Janquay, a friend of dwarven king Bruenor Battlehammer, and one of Bregan D’aerthe’s most illustrious drow scouts, has gone missing. To help King Bruenor and uncover the secrets behind the looming drow civil war, players will descend into a whole new region of Underdark. The Northdark Reaches module marks just the beginning of the darkness that’s yet to come, as the next module – launching next year – will bring the epic conclusion to this new storyline.
Northdark Reaches introduces plenty of playable content and exciting updates for all Neverwinter adventurers, including:
New Adventure by R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore – Descend into the Underdark to experience the first part of a two-part storyline and campaign written in collaboration with New York Times bestselling author R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore
The new campaign lets you experience the events that take place in between Starlight Enclave and Glacier’s Edge, the first two books of The Way of the Drow series from R.A. Salvatore.
Northdark Reaches Adventure Zone & Campaign – Explore Northdark Reaches, the iconic Dungeons & Dragons underground domain of the Underdark — and go on a secret mission to discover the fate of Braelin Janquay, the missing scout and friend of Bruenor Battlehammer, amidst tensions and political intrigue among the houses of Menzoberranzan.
The adventure zone includes the following new features:
New Quests – Embark on epic quests, encounter beloved Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms characters, and experience the Underdark in a whole new way as you join forces with Minolin Fey to discover what happened with Braelin Janquay!
New Bosses – Go up against the deadliest bosses within the Underdark, like the drow warden Levira Vandree, the drider Ilvara Mizzrym, and the righteous Keeper of the Gate, and take on challenging heroic encounters.
New Gadgets & Rewards – By successfully completing quests, you can unearth helpful gadgets and use your hard-earned House Baenre Coins to earn rewards, including the new Dark Maiden’s Gear set, Item Level 1600 Companion Equipment, and powerful Blaspheme weapons, which can be further upgraded after completing the main story of the Northdark Reaches.
“Temple of the Spider” Dungeon Remastered – Return to the Temple of the Spider like never before as you clear it of new servants of Lolth!
The updated version of the dungeon features new and revamped bosses, enemies, and rewards, along with Normal and Master difficulty options.
Quality of Life Improvements – This new module introduces an inventory and insignia system update, along with Neverwinter community-requested changes to the Wizard class.
Neverwinter is a free-to-play action MMORPG featuring fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Players explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its surrounding lands, learning the vivid history of the iconic city in the Forgotten Realms and battling its many enemies. Neverwinter is available on PC and is free to play digitally on Xbox (Xbox Live Gold membership not required) and PlayStation (PlayStationPlus not required) consoles.
