World of Warcraft: Dragonflight's Embers of Neltharion update arrives today

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight Aberrus Raid image
(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

What you need to know

  • Embers of Neltharion is the latest big patch for World of Warcraft as part of the 10.1 update. 
  • Embers of Neltharion builds on everything introduced in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, adding a new zone called Zaralek Cavern. 
  • There's also a new raid called Aberrus, The Shattered Crucible.
  • Embers of Neltharion is launching today around 3:00 p.m. PT / 6:00 p.m. ET. 

The time has finally come for the walls to come down. 

At the very least, the walls separating World of Warcraft players across the Horde and the Alliance. The launch of Embers of Neltharion for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is bringing a number of changes and additions to Blizzard Entertainment's long-running role-playing game. Chief among these changes is the launch of cross-faction guilds, meaning players will no longer be separated based on what faction they're playing as. 

Embers of Neltharion also includes a new Raid called Aberrus, The Shattered Crucible. As shared in Windows Central's preview for the 10.1 update, this raid is delving into the forgotten experiments and horrors of Neltharion's laboratory. You can check out the launch trailer for Embers of Neltharion below. 

Embers of Neltharion is launching for players on May 2, 2023, with maintenance scheduled to end roughly around 3:00 p.m. PT / 6:00 p.m. ET. 

In our review of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, managing editor Jez Corden wrote that "World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is somehow a breath of fresh air and a celebration of classic design principles in equal measure. The return to more dynamic, old-school talent trees enhances the class fantasy with a seasoning of new abilities across the board."

Windows Central's take

While I'll wait for impressions from Jez and other World of Warcraft players I know, the general consensus continues to be that Dragonflight is the best thing that's happened to the game in a very, very long time. Hopefully this update continues that trend, and it's especially impressive that, alongside the upcoming launch of Diablo 4, Blizzard Entertainment is delivering incredible work while still maintaining work from home.

Samuel Tolbert
Freelance Writer

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.