Next Neverwinter Expansion Has Players Feeling Nostalgic

Neverwinter, Cryptic Studios' free-to-play MMORPG set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe, is about to get a nostalgic expansion. A recent teaser trailer has introduced the new expansion, Sharandar, which will take players back to an area they might know well if they've been playing since the very first expansion, Fury of the Feywild, in 2013. 

Fury of the Feywild explored the ancient elven stronghold of Sharandar, where players battled against the forces of the giant King Malabog. The evil king sought to take control of Sharandar and all the fey folk crossing into Neverwinter Wood. Naturally, the elves of Sharandar seek the help of players in order to preserve their homeland and push back Malabog.  

In the Sharandar expansion, a new darkness is spreading across the Feywilds. The official announcement for the expansion warns the first episode of the expansion, The Iron Tooth, will send players to the dangerous Ruins of Malabog — but that's not all.

For long-time players of Neverwinter, the trailer lets them know that the peace they brought to the Feywilds after defeating Malabog has not lasted. The trailer concludes with a shot of what could possibly be a formorian, judging simply by the fact that they seem to have one eye larger than the other and their skin is a purple-ish grey. Fomorians are a race of giants, of which King Malabog was a member. If viewers turn on the subtitles on the trailer, the creature's name is shown as Annis. Is this a descendent of Malabog, here to cause trouble in the Feywilds again? It is currently unclear what role this new character will play, but one thing is for sure: they look nasty.

Players have responded positively to the new trailer, particularly for its return to the land of Sharandar. 

Previous Neverwinter expansions include Shadowmantle, Curse of Icewind Dale, Tyranny of Dragons, Rise of Tiamat, Strongholds, and The Underdark, plus twelve more from 2016 to 2019. Each expansion added new campaigns and adventure zones, drawing on the rich Dungeons and Dragons lore to bolster the game's story and characters. From 2013 to 2018, the game logged nearly 18 million players, which, according to Cryptic Studios, is "775 times the population of Neverwinter."

Neverwinter is almost ten years old, but it doesn't look like Cryptic Studios will stop expanding the game any time soon. With so much lore to draw from, Neverwinter could be adding new content for years to come. In the meantime, fans can look forward to a major overhaul of Neverwinter's combat and character customization mechanics.