Paralyzed army vet can now play World of Warcraft using 'science fiction… magic… brilliant…' Neuralink brain implant — 'I’m now raiding, and exploring Azeroth hands-free at full speed'

British Army veteran Jon L. Noble has shared a heartwarming update on his first 100 days with a Neuralink brain computer interface (BCI) implant. Noble variously describes the journey from day 0 to the present as “science fiction… magic… brilliant… addictive… overwhelming and incredibly motivating.” Along the way, he’s moved from Mac newbie to power user. As for gaming, “I’m now raiding, and exploring Azeroth hands-free at full speed — no mouse, no keyboard, just intention,” enthuses the World of Warcraft fan, also known as P-18 (patient number 18).

For some background to Noble’s situation, the Financial Express reports that the ex-paratrooper was paralyzed from the shoulders down after a driving accident in 2016. He volunteered for Neuralink clinical trials and got the Neuralink N1 implant in London in December last year.

Noble’s first 100 days as an N1 implant patient have whizzed by, and he starts his recollective Tweet by summing up, “Looking back, the whole journey feels like science fiction that somehow became my everyday reality.”

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On day zero, he went in for surgery, with a robotic system inserting 1,024 threads into his motor cortex. He was well enough - “alert and in good spirits” - to go home the next day. By day seven, the scar was already fading, and Noble says he “felt sharper and more positive than I had been in years.”

The fun started in week two, when the N1 was paired with a new Apple MacBook, says the ex-paratrooper. Neuralink engineers helped him get used to flexing his new BCI, and by week three, Noble says “scrolling, clicking, typing — all mind-controlled,” was second nature on the Mac. “I went from total Mac newbie to power-user faster than I ever expected,” he joked.

(Image credit: Neuralink)

(Image credit: Neuralink)

Riding into the realms of Azeroth

There’s a bit of a gap in the timeline shared, but by day 80, Patient 18 recalls he was “ready for the big leagues.” Of course, gaming presents quite a different experience to general computer interaction, with the stress on timing, accuracy, and not forgetting strategy. Noble admits he started off feeling clunky.

“Once my brain and the BCI synced, it was pure magic,” explained the ex-paratrooper. “I’m now raiding, and exploring Azeroth hands-free at full speed — no mouse, no keyboard, just intention. It’s honestly brilliant. The freedom is addictive.” You can see a video of Noble playing the game if you expand the embedded post above.

Noble also takes the opportunity to thank all the positive folks he’s had the pleasure to interact with on social media since his implant. It is good to hear of the overwhelming positivity and excitement communicated in the thousands of messages he has received.

With these first 100 days behind him, Noble relishes what the next 100 will bring. “The N1 didn’t just give me a new way to use a computer — it gave me a new way to live,” seems like a good summary of the life-changing experience gained from a capable BCI.

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