Cryptic Studios and Gearbox have announced that the next Neverwinter module, Northdark Reaches, will launch on November 8th. The module will feature an epic questline written in collaboration with Drizzt Do'Urden creator R.A. Salvatore, as well as his son Geno, and will be the first of a two-part narrative that concludes next year.
Northdark Reaches will be Neverwinter's 24th module, and will take place in the titular frontier, which sprawls beneath the mountains of Faerûn. You'll descend into the Reaches in order to search for Braelin Janquay, a drow scout who has gone missing under mysterious circumstances (obviously; otherwise, why else would King Bruenor Battlehammer need adventurers to find his trusty friend?).
Northdark Reaches takes place between Salvatore's books Starlight Enclave and Glacier's Edge. It'll introduce characters like Rumpadump and Saribel Xorlarrin Do'Urden to Neverwinter, so if you're a big Forgotten Realms fan, then there's lots for you to get excited about here.
As you'd expect, Northdark Reaches will also bring plenty of new content to Neverwinter, including the game's first persistent Adventure Zone in the Underdark. You can look forward to heroic bosses, lots of new quests, and plenty of gear and gadgets to unlock as you adventure through the Northdark Reaches.
The module also brings a rework of the Temple of the Spider dungeon, bringing new bosses, enemies, and rewards, as well as a toggle between Normal and Master difficulties. Inventory improvements and oft-requested changes to the Wizard class are also on their way, so if you're a Wizard main, hold tight. You haven't been forgotten.
While you might know R.A. Salvatore from the drow Drizzt Do'Urden (arguably his most famous creation, and Drizzt's many crossovers seem to agree), you may also remember his name from Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, for which he created the world's backstory and also wrote dialogue. Salvatore was, in fact, one of the figures that was never paid for his work on Amalur after developer 38 Studios shut its doors in 2012. Many of 38 Studios' developers were subsequently paid, but Salvatore has apparently never received his $2 million writer's fee for Amalur. Here's hoping his collaboration with Neverwinter goes a little better.
You can download and play Neverwinter for free right now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It's also playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S through backwards compatibility. The latest module, Northdark Reaches, will launch as a free update for the game on November 8th.
