The provided source material details a series of historical and ongoing promotional offers for the video game Neverwinter, focusing on the distribution of free in-game items, packs, and currency through various channels. These promotions have been offered by the game's publisher, Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment, as well as through partnerships with magazines, websites, and hardware manufacturers. The information indicates that many past giveaways have ended, with some codes still being redeemable, while others are available through current or recently announced programmes. The offers typically require specific actions from the participant, such as subscribing to a service, purchasing a product, entering a code, or engaging with promotional content on social media or partner websites.
Historical and Ended Promotional Offers
A significant portion of the documented promotions for Neverwinter have concluded, though some legacy codes may still be functional. These past offers provide insight into the types of items that have been distributed.
Magazine and Print-Based Promotions
Several promotions were tied to the purchase of specific magazine issues. For instance, the February 2013 issue of PC Gamer US magazine (issue #236) included an exclusive in-game item code. The code provided a random selection of either the Black Horse Mount (Stormraider Horse) or the White Horse Mount. Although the official promotion period has ended, the source notes that codes found in back issues of the magazine were still functioning as of mid-February 2014. Similarly, Jeux Vidéo Magazine Issue #34H (a French magazine) had a code promotion that is now out of print, but codes located in back issues of the magazine are reportedly still valid for redemption.
Website and Social Media Giveaways
Numerous giveaways were hosted on third-party websites and social media platforms, often requiring user engagement. These typically ended on specific dates, and keys are no longer available through the official channels.
- F2P (Free2Play): A giveaway offering a "Lord of Waterdeep" title and a [Defensive Potion Pack] required users to enter an email address on the source website. This promotion is noted as ended.
- Fragtist: A Turkish site hosted a giveaway that ended on 09/07/2013.
- GameItems: A "Neverwinter Lord of Waterdeep Launch Free Pack Giveaway" is listed as ended with no more keys available.
- Gamersbook: A "Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Item Pack Giveaway" is marked as a completed contest. It offered an [Ocular Preservation Monocle] and an [Endurance Potion Pack]. Entry required registering on the site, editing a profile to add specific games and companies to lists, and liking both Gamersbook and Neverwinter on Facebook. The contest ran from 09/09/2013 to 09/20/2013.
- OnRPG: This site hosted a "Neverwinter Lord of Waterdeep Gift Pack Giveaway" that ended with no more keys. It also ran a "Physical Collector's Chest Giveaway" for a "Neverwinter Physical Collector's Chest" and an item called [Valindra's Crown]. This contest required creating or logging into an account and posting in a related thread about what from D&D lore should be added to Neverwinter. The contest ended on 08/23/2013.
- GameZone / Twitter: A giveaway offered a chance to win a code for the "Dread Ringer" title and a [Neverwinter Vanguard Pack]. To enter, participants had to follow @GameZoneOnline on Twitter and tweet @Neverwintergame and @GameZoneOnline with an interesting character screenshot attached. The contest ended on 12/22/2013.
- Toril Adventurer: A title and [Defensive Potion Pack] were offered via a Facebook app, requiring users to like and fill in a form.
- Sword Coast Ambassador: A title and [Endurance Potion Pack] were available by liking a page on Facebook and pressing a button on the page.
Subscription and Paid Service Promotions
Some offers required a paid subscription or a first-time purchase.
- IGN Prime: A promotion offered an "Upstart Cleric Gift Pack" and an [Endurance Potion Pack]. To obtain a key, a user needed at least a one-month subscription to the IGN Prime service. The keys were no longer available as of 08/13/2014.
- Perfect World "My first ZEN" Event: This was a purchase-based promotion for users of non-English versions of the Perfect World site (German, French, Italian, Polish, Turkish). To receive a key for a [Starred Eyepatch] and a [Defensive Potion Pack], a user had to purchase at least 500 Zen for the first time via a non-English site and transfer it to Neverwinter between August 5th and August 12, 2013. A card with the code was mailed to the purchaser. This event ended on 08/12/2013.
Hardware and Software Partner Promotions
Partnerships with hardware and software companies were another avenue for distributing free in-game items.
- NVIDIA GeForce: An offer for free Neverwinter in-game items is listed as ended as of 08/01/2013. A separate, later promotion from NVIDIA (July 2014) provided in-game currency for other games, not Neverwinter.
- GeForce "Get Your Free In-Game Currency": This promotion, which ended on 07/09/2014, was for users who purchased a specific GeForce graphics card or notebook. The promotion provided a code that could be redeemed at a GeForce landing page, which then provided codes for use in Neverwinter and two other games. The Neverwinter component offered 465 Platinum (in-game currency) for use in Warframe and 2600 Gs for Marvel Heroes. The source specifies that the codes were for other games, but the promotion included Neverwinter as one of the titles.
- gram.pl: A Polish site was giving away 15,000 keys for items including a [Laced Mask] and an [Offensive Potion Pack]. Keys were available via the site but were expired, as confirmed by PWE support on 08/21/2014.
Current and Ongoing Promotional Opportunities
The source material also points to several promotional channels that are described as ongoing or are currently active.
- Official Neverwinter Website: The official Cryptic/PWE website is noted as hosting many giveaways. The advice is to "check often to see if there is any giveaways going on." This suggests a recurring or ongoing programme of promotions.
- GamerPower: A third-party site, GamerPower.com, lists a free "Neverwinter: Red Harvest Part 2 Gift Pack Key" which unlocks in-game items, including a Legendary mount. This is presented as a current offer to "score" a key.
- Amazon Games: A separate offer from Amazon Games provides a free "Mediterranean Wetsuit Outfit" for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, indicating that other companies also run free item promotions for different games.
Redemption Processes and Eligibility
The methods for obtaining and redeeming these free items varied significantly by promotion.
- In-Game Redemption: For some promotions, such as the IGN Prime offer, users had to open their map in the game's Protector's Enclave, locate the "Reward Claims Agent," and speak to him to claim their pack.
- Website Forms: Many giveaways required users to enter an email address, create or log into an account on the partner site, or fill out a form on a Facebook app.
- Social Media Engagement: Several promotions required liking a Facebook page, following a Twitter account, or posting content (like a screenshot) on social media.
- Purchase Requirements: The "My first ZEN" event explicitly required a monetary transaction (purchasing 500 Zen) to qualify.
- Subscription Requirements: The IGN Prime offer was gated behind a paid subscription to the service.
- Geographic Restrictions: The "My first ZEN" event was specifically for users of non-English versions of the Perfect World site, indicating regional targeting.
- Hardware Purchase: The GeForce promotion required the purchase of specific hardware from a participating partner during the promotional period.
Conclusion
The landscape of free item giveaways for Neverwinter has been diverse, involving print media, online platforms, social media, and hardware partnerships. A large number of these historical promotions have ended, with keys no longer available or expired. However, some legacy codes from print magazines may still be functional. Current opportunities appear to be limited to checking the official website for ongoing giveaways and potentially claiming keys from third-party sites like GamerPower. Participation in past offers often involved specific actions such as subscription, purchase, or social media engagement, with eligibility rules varying by promotion. For UK consumers interested in such digital freebies, the primary actionable advice from the source material is to monitor the official game channels and reputable key giveaway sites for new promotional announcements.