Warframe is a weird, ambitious game that takes place in a far sci-fi future. Digital Extremes, the game’s developer and publisher, holds a fan convention every year called TennoCon to announce all the newest updates, changes, and mysteries that players can expect to be added next. The first major story arc of Warframe has wrapped, but the game still has a long way to go, with tons of new additions on the way — including a bizarre but fascinating blast to the past of 1999, as revealed Saturday during TennoCon 2023.
Warframe’s next Warframe
First up is the game’s next Warframe, who will arrive in the October update, Abyss of Dagath. Dagath uses a blade and whip, and her faceless frame is an unsettling sight. The water-themed Hydroid is getting another update, and big boy Grendel will be the next Warframe to receive a Prime variant.
Whispers in the Walls
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During the winter, Digital Extremes will release Warframe’s next cinematic quest: “Whispers in the Walls.” In this adventure, players will return to the Entrati family on the moon of Deimos in order to hunt down the Man in the Wall, a mysterious and eldritch force who has been taunting us in the background for quite some time. The Man in the Wall has a new faction at his disposal called the Murmur, and the Necramech enemy faction is also getting expanded to become much more diverse and interesting to fight. “Whispers in the Wall” will also have a new weapon type, grimoires — which is great, because the book truly is more powerful than the machine gun.
Warframe: 1999
TennoCon’s most fascinating announcement by far is Warframe: 1999 — it’s a time travel tale involving prototype versions of the sleek, robotic Warframes. The CRT screens, static, and retro vibe are very out of place in the super far future of Warframe, where living metal beings and giant moon worms are par for the course. That being said, I love how Digital Extremes will take swings at wild story beats, and Warframe: 1999 looks like one of the weirdest additions yet.
Soulframe, Digital Extremes’ take on Elden Ring
Fans also got a fairly in-depth look at the next game from Digital Extremes, which appears to be similar to Warframe, but slower, more melee-based, and set in a fantasy world reminiscent of Elden Ring. Thirty minutes of Soulframe footage was shown at TennoCon, showing more of the game’s blocking, dodging, and parrying mechanics. It seems like players take the role of an Envoy, who is able to pull on the strength of past Ancestors. Soulframe looks like it has some incredible encounters, and I’m interested to see more of the MMO elements as we get closer to launch.
Warframe mobile
Digital Extremes announced that Warframe will come to iOS in 2024, which is a real treat for mobile players. Universal cross-save is set to arrive this year, so players will be able to jump between platforms without losing all of their Tenno’s progress. Warframe has been live for 10 years, and it seems like the franchise still has plenty of gas left in the tank. The addition of a second universe in Soulframe makes things even more exciting.
How to get into Warframe
If you’re interested in trying out Warframe for yourself, Polygon has starter guides that are meant for a total newbie. It’s one of the most intimidating games on the market to learn to play, but the investment is well worth it. We’ll have to see how the Man in the Wall arc progresses over the next cinematic quest, and what lies beyond that in the future of Warframe.