--- title: "Neuralink Patient Using Brain Chip to Carry Out Important Life Task: Playing World of Warcraft" description: "A Neuralink patient who is paralyzed from the shoulders down is now able to play the fantasy MMORPG World of Warcraft." date: "2026-03-29" modified: "2026-03-29" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/health-medicine/neuralink-patient-brain-chip-world-of-warcraft" categories: - "Brain" - "Brain Implants" - "Health & Medicine" --- # Neuralink Patient Using Brain Chip to Carry Out Important Life Task: Playing World of Warcraft ![A translucent blue-green human head profile with the "World of Warcraft" logo prominently displayed inside the brain area, symbolizing the game occupying the person's mind. The background is black, emphasizing the glowing effect around the head and logo.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Getty Images* A paralyzed man who received a Neuralink implant is now able to enjoy the ultimate time killer: World of Warcraft. Jon L. Noble, a British Army veteran, [shared an update]() on his journey since receiving a brain implant from the Elon Musk-owned company, describing how he rapidly learned to use the tech to control a Macbook and, eventually, game. He uploaded footage to prove it, showing his character valiantly battling a hulking enemy in Blizzard's longstanding fantasy MMORPG. "It's hard to believe it's already been 100 days since I received my Neuralink N1 implant," Noble [wrote]() in a tweet, posted Sunday. "The whole journey feels like science fiction that somehow became my everyday reality." https://twitter.com/CheckCanopy/status/2033303966662959462 Noble was paralyzed from the shoulders down after a horrific car accident in 2004. In September of last year, he [applied]() to participate in Neuralink's UK trial for patients with spinal cord injuries. In mid-December, Noble went under the knife: a Neuralink team using a surgical robot arm implanted a N1 brain computer interface in his motor cortex. Just days after the surgery he [tweeted]() to considerable acclaim: "This is my first X message using my BCI." Progress, according to Noble, moved quickly. By week two, Neuralink engineers paired the implant with a MacBook. Within a few sessions, he learned how to move, click, and scroll the cursor, and type. "At first it felt like trying to remember a dream, but by Week 3 it was second nature," he said in the latest update. "I went from total Mac newbie to power-user faster than I ever expected." The real fun, though, began by day 80. "That's when I fired up \[World of Warcraft\] for the first time with pure thought control," he wrote. "The first raid felt clunky, but once my brain and the BCI synced, it was pure magic." Now, he's "raiding and exploring Azeroth hands-free at full speed" with no mouse or keyboard. (As of Sunday, he [said]() his character was level 16.) "It's honestly brilliant. The freedom is addictive." Neuralink keeps many aspects of its operations under wraps. Patient testimonies like these are the public's main window of insight into the company's progress. Often, the [implant recipients]() give [gaming a shot](). Two years ago, another patient [demonstrated]() how he was able to play the strategy game "Civilization VI" by moving a cursor with his mind, an experience he likened to "using the Force," evoking the "Star Wars" franchise. In November, [another shared]() how he could play first-person shooters like "Battlefield 6" using a combination of the implant and a mouth-operated controller designed for quadriplegics called the QuadStick. **More on neuroscience:** [*Neuralink Head of Surgery Says Robot-Human Interface Happening "Very Soon"*]() ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()