Warframe
Warframe's 2019 roadmap is massive, here's what you need to knowJan 18, 2019 - PC GamerWarframe developer Digital Extremes is kicking off the new year with a bang. Earlier today, during its semi-regular developer livestream on Twitch, community director Rebecca Ford, creative director Steve Sinclair, and other key developers laid out an entire roadmap for 2019. There's a lot of exciting stuff in the works including three new warframes (two of which were revealed), a massive overhaul of the alerts and challenges system, and a new enemy faction. That's just the tip of the iceberg, so here's a quick rundown of every major update that was mentioned on stream sorted by its expected arrival, including some handy Twitch videos so you don't have to watch the stream in its entirety. What to expect spring 2019 TennoCon 2019 dates announced The annual Warframe fan convention, TennoCon, is returning in 2019 and will take place on July 6, 2019 at Digital Extremes' hometown of London, Ontario, Canada. Tickets aren't on sale yet, but we'll let you know when they are. Wisp on the left and Hylden on the right. 3 Warframes being developed (two revealed) Last year, Digital Extremes released four new warframes and five variants of pre-existing warframes. That gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect this year, but already Sinclair was able to reveal that three new warframes are in the works and two were ready to be revealed on stream. The first new frame is Hyldren, who, somewhat like Overwatch's Zarya, wields very heavy weapons in combat. Hyldren doesn't use energy like normal warframes but instead uses her own shield to cast her abilities which include some team buffs and damaging attacks. The second warframe is Wisp. There's no concrete information on what her abilities are but Ford said they would talk about her on a later devstream. A new Orb Vallis "expansion" Fortuna, Warframe's excellent open-world expansion, has already received its first major update that let's players hunt down and fight the giant robot spiders that prowl the snowy wastes of Orb Vallis. Early in 2019, players can expect another "expansion" for Fortuna called Deck 12 - Exploiter. Details on this are scarce, but Sinclair said "This is an event, and a boss, and a lore bomb all together." Our best guess is this update will add another chapter to the story of Fortuna, which is pretty weird. Unfortunately, Sinclair said the team has nothing more to show at this time. Gas City revamp The Gas City is the tileset and theme of maps that players encounter on Jupiter, and it's going to be completely updated this spring. This isn't just an aesthetic facelift but a rework of the associated missions. "The remaster is absolutely beautiful, but our goal is that there is a new game mode," Sinclair said. "There are gameplay wrinkles, there are new reward structures and enemy types. There are things that are attacking the outside. It's not just a fresh coat of pa...Warframe dev says cross-play is 'one of the highest-risk things we can do'Jan 18, 2019 - PC GamerOver the last year, cross-play has quickly become an exciting frontier for games. The ability to play with anyone—regardless of what platform they're on—is an obvious benefit to players, which is why it was so frustrating to see companies like Sony stand in the way for so long. But with Fortnite and Rocket League now offering unrestricted cross-play across various platforms, the big question is what other games will be next? During a Warframe developer livestream on Twitch, one viewer asked whether Warframe, which recently launched on Switch and is consistently one of the biggest games on PC, would ever have cross-play. Considering Warframe's MMO-style of progression and community, being able to play on the go or with friends on other consoles is an obvious boon for PC players. But the reality, creative director Steve Sinclair explains, is very complicated. "As a player I would love it," Sinclair said. "As a developer, it's one of the highest-risk things we can do. Because a lot of the games that are doing it—it's still very early days for this—A lot of those games came late to the platforms and had different negotiating environments to establish their contracts. On top of that, we are a game that is constantly changing. We change the game modes, we change the gameplay. We do huge, huge swings constantly, so, it is something that we're all interested in and we do discuss it." Although we would like to do this, I don't think it is something that we can promise right now in January. Steve Sinclair, creative director Warframe's development is nearly constant. Patches and hotfixes are rolled out on an almost weekly basis, which is one of the reasons why PC and consoles operate on different timelines. For example, Fortuna, Warframe's big new open-world update, launched on PCs a full month earlier than consoles—and it's still not out on Switch yet. Doing cross-play would require unifying these three branches. "Although we would like to do this, I don't think it is something that we can promise right now in January," Sinclair admitted. There is hope, though. One of the biggest benefits to cross-play in Warframe would be the option to carry progress over between platforms. When the Switch version launched, players could temporarily choose to migrate their accounts from PC and other consoles to the Switch version, but that was a permanent move. If you want to play on both PC and Switch, you'd need two separate accounts—far from ideal in such a massive MMO-style game. Sinclair says that while full cross-play might not be possible, the team is interested in finding ways to "share progress or share items" between platforms. So while you might not be able to play with your friends on PS4, you could jump seamlessly jump between platforms. "Those things are a lot more doable than getting everything in sync and doing complete c...Today: Devstream #122!Jan 18, 2019 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/a50eb352db546c1287f06ca100f23c82f68029c0.jpg Who: Rebecca is joined by the usual suspects Geoff, Steve, Sheldon, and Scott! What: 2019 is here and we’re back kicking off our 6th year of Devstreams. With it, we’ll be announcing the date of TennoCon 2019, a sneak peek at some upcoming 2019 Warframes, and what we’ve been up to so far this year! Prizes? Why yes, we will be giving away 3 x 1000 Platinum Prizes during the Livestream as well as a Mesa Prime Access Pack! Where: Find us at: twitch.tv/warframe as well as a variety of other streaming services. By installing the Youtube app for free on your Nintendo Switch, you can conveniently watch the stream on the Warframe Youtube channel from your portable system! Twitch Drop: Join us to get your very own 3-day Resource Booster! When: Join us today Friday, January 18th at 2 p.m. ET! Hope to see you there, Tenno!What to expect from Warframe in 2019Jan 15, 2019 - PC GamerLast year was a pivotal year for Warframe. While Digital Extremes kept the game going with a slew of mini-updates, it also launched its second open-world zone, Fortuna. Learning lessons from the previous open-world zone, Fortuna is one of the coolest and most exciting expansions ever made to Warframe. And that's just the beginning. As we look to the year ahead, Warframe is going to get even bigger. Of course that means lots of new warframes to unlock and pilot, but Digital Extremes has already teased some mighty ambitious projects including a complete overhaul of its melee system. Here's what to look forward to in Warframe in 2019. Railjack The Railjack reveal floored viewers at TennoCon 2018. After an extended demo of the new open-world zone of Fortuna, Digital Extremes pulled a double-feature that saw a team of three piloting a ship, blasting fighters, and assaulting a Corpus battleship. The mode seamlessly blended on-board ship combat, ship-to-ship space fights, archwing piloting, and tactical systems that let you manage your vessel's power reserves. The demo even showed a player hacking into the Corpus systems to unlock doors and turn turrets against their masters. As the two open world zones did previously, this demo opened up my expectations for what Warframe could become five or ten years down the line. Warframe is already a different animal from its early iterations in 2013, but few would have expected this level of spectacle and complex co-operation across multiple systems. It's almost unthinkable that Railjack will actually come out this year, but that's the plan. If it works (and let’s be honest, it might take a few patches to get it stable), Railjack could raise the bar for the sort of team activities we can look forward to in future updates. Multiple new warframes One thing players can reliably expect from 2019 is that Digital Extremes will roll out several new warframes over the course of the year—we just have no idea what they might be. In 2018, Digital Extremes released five entirely new warframes and four Prime variants of existing warframes (which have upgraded stats but are most easily obtainable through microtransactions). That gives us a pretty reliable estimate of how many new warframes should be arriving this year. What those warframes will be is another question entirely, though. While Digital Extremes loves to tease new warframes well in advance, the latest addition to the roster, Baruuk, was just released on December 18. It's probably a little too early to expect any sneak peeks at what's next. That said, near the end of Devstream #115 , art director Geoff Crookes let slip that an upcoming frame was called Wisp and had "an amazing design." Unfortunately, Crookes didn't say anything more specific. In that same stream, design director Scott McGregor also said there were two other unannounced warframes in the works—making for a total of thre...PRIME VAULT CLOSING SOON - Nova Prime and Mag Prime are about to leave!Jan 10, 2019 - Community AnnouncementsThe magnetic duo is going back to the Prime Vault! Don’t miss out! On January 15 for Switch and January 29 for PC, Xbox One and PS4, Nova Prime returns to the Vault alongside the energetic Mag Prime, Soma Prime, Boar Prime, Dakra Prime and Vasto Prime. Now’s your last chance to earn their Relics, or you can instantly unlock them with a Prime Vault Pack, which also includes high-demand Vaulted Prime Accessories, and discounted Platinum. https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/810b1a2f3cf9a3ecf9f2231d6bb766a6c719adc2.jpg MAGNETIC MAYHEM DUAL PRIME PACK FEATURES: · 1200 Platinum · Nova Prime · Mag Prime · Soma Prime · Boar Prime · Dakra Prime · Vasto Prime · Edo Prime Armor Set · Yamako Prime Syandana · Distilling Extractor Prime + Blueprint · Velorum Prime Sigil · Prime Glyphs https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/e52c7eeacb26e75454aaa42cca14f0d3feccca4e.jpg NOVA PRIME PACK FEATURES: · 400 Platinum · Nova Prime · Soma Prime · Vasto Prime · Edo Prime Armor Set · Velorum Prime Sigil · Prime Glyphs/Profile Icons https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/54b444f92e3e4f69f56fe06e4ee45677bd084937.jpg MAG PRIME PACK FEATURES: · 400 Platinum · Mag Prime · Boar Prime · Dakra Prime · Yamako Prime Syandana · Distilling Extractor Prime + BP · Prime Glyphs/Profile Icons https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/8dbb24a53f976cf0f1ec9718af08e577f3744fe1.jpg NOVA PRIME ACCESSORY PACK FEATURES: · 200 Platinum · Edo Prime Armor Set · Velorum Prime Sigil https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/70c9c2cca2158692608714e7a8a48abd6a0449ff.jpg MAG PRIME ACCESSORY PACK FEATURES · 200 Platinum · Yamako Prime Syandana · Distilling Extractor Prime + Blueprint Click here to pick up these Prime Vault Packs before the Vault closes!New Augments for Khora, Nova, Inaros, and Gara available now!Jan 9, 2019 - Community AnnouncementsCheck out four new Augment Mods for Khora, Nova, Inaros, and Gara below and start brainstorming how you can add them to your builds! https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/1e836c883bef7b1eedc553ad536aed3f794fa39a.jpg Khora - Venari Bodyguard (Venari Augment) Venari dies in Khora’s place. Respawn timer increased 150s. Killing enemies decrease the timer by 4s. Nova - Molecular Fission (Molecular Prime Augment) When killed, primed enemies will restore a null star charge and have a 100% chance of restoring an additional one. Inaros - Desiccation’s Curse (Desiccation Augment) Killing a blinded enemy with a finisher has a 75% chance of summoning a Sand Shadow Gara - Spectrosiphon (Spectrorage Augment) Enemies that die within Spectrorage have a 50% chance to drop an energy orb. Please note: The stats shown are for Augment Mods at Max Rank. WHAT ARE AUGMENT MODS? Augment Mods enhance the power of Warframe Abilities. Each Augment upgrades a single Ability with extra effects, but unlike most other Mods, Augments can only be equipped on the Warframe it affects. HOW CAN I GET THEM? To earn Augments, you’ll first need to align yourself with a Syndicate. To do this, head to the Syndicate station in the Orbiter located next to Navigation. Find the Syndicate that appeals to you and choose “Initiation” to receive a Syndicate Sigil. Equip the Sigil to your Warframe at the Arsenal. When the Sigil is equipped, you’ll earn Syndicate Standing by completing Missions, which is used to purchase items from a Syndicate and to increase your Syndicate Rank. Augment Mods are available at the highest Rank within a Syndicate. Boost your Warframe’s power with these new Augments today!Today: Devstream #121Dec 21, 2018 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/56bdc08db652806d9fad75368e270ca12db992cd.jpg Who: Members of the DE Crew! What: 2018 has flown by. This will be our last stream of 2018 before we close for some long overdue holidays. We’ll be doing this Devstream a little faster / looser than usual because we are focused on Hotfixes right now, but we’ll be celebrating 2018 with some mind-bending Warframe Stats and plenty of fun. Prizes? Why yes, we will be giving away 3 x 1000 Platinum Prizes and during the Livestream as well as a Mesa Prime Access Pack! Drops: There will be a Twitch Drop! Tune in live to learn more! Where: Find us at: twitch.tv/Warframe to watch for a Twitch Drop, or if you're watching from your Switch, watch on the YouTube app! When: Join us today, December 21st at 2 p.m ET! See you there, Tenno!Squash a giant robot spider in Warframe's new updateDec 19, 2018 - PC GamerThe latest update for Warframe, The Profit-Taker, is out on PC now, sending Tenno on a mission to destroy the titular Profit-Taker. It’s not the most ominous name, but it looks a lot more threatening. It’s a giant robot spider, an Orb Mother, and it has many lasers. Killing is going to take some work. Take a gander at the trailer above. It might be an assassination mission, but it’s being framed like a bit like a heist, which I am very down for. Before battering this big spider, you’ll need to find its weaknesses and get help from Solaris United. The good news is that you’ll be able to use your biggest, baddest guns: Archweapons. With the Gravimag, you can make them work even when you’re not in space. There’s more beyond squashing a spider. The Corpus are hunting Vallis’ animals, but you can save them with three new lures, netting yourself some new cuddly toys for your trouble. They’re extremely adorable. You can take a new Warframe for a spin, too. Baruuk is a pacifist, but he gets mad, and when he gets mad, bones get broken. When he loses his cool, he can unleash the Serene Storm, smacking enemies around with a relentless barrage of punches and kicks. He's definitely on my radar, but the list of Warframes I still have my eye on is absurdly large. I teamed up with someone using Hydroid a wee while ago and thought he looked like such a hoot that I bought him immediately. We're not clicking quite yet, unfortunately, so I'd quite like to spend more time figuring him out before I start playing with new toys. Elsewhere, there are Operator upgrades, several new mods, new gear for your Warframes and more. Check out the patch notes here. Mesa Prime Access Available Now!Dec 18, 2018 - Community AnnouncementsBecome the fastest gun in the system with Mesa Prime. This legendary gunslinger comes with the Akjagara Prime dual pistols, the long-awaited Redeemer Prime gunblade and more! https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/fdd25d0f100eab3691c1cab830e1887ef9062b54.png MESA PRIME ACCESS FEATURES Mesa Prime: Cast a long shadow with this lethal enforcer. Mesa Prime Glyphs: Embody Mesa Prime with these Prime Glyphs. Akjagara Prime: Precision machined mirrored pistols. Primed and ready. Redeemer Prime: Deal out double-barreled death with this primed gunblade. https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/eca17f0a49d75831684e374a70507cb098af29b4.jpg MESA PRIME ACCESSORIES Operator Prime Accessories Anten Prime Operator Earpiece Respa Prime Operator Mask Erlang Prime Operator Oculus Don one, two, or all three fashionable Prime accessories and give your Operator a golden visage! https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/d11419384e94782f62f375a2a07141f4ce1a7ed1.jpg Also included in the Mesa Prime Accessories are: Cholla Prime Sugatra Mesa Prime Montesa Helmet 90 Day Credit Booster 90 Day Affinity Booster https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/7da15ff0da4d6358b01e1c86aecdaef6af2a1831.png Mesa Prime, Akjagara Prime and Redeemer Prime Blueprints can also be earned in-game through Relics! Warframe s Profit-Taker heist update busts out the big guns todayDec 18, 2018 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunWarframe‘s space-travel update might not be here until the new year, but Digital Extremes are ending 2018 with a bang and a very large boss to fight. Fleshing out the frozen Venusian landscape introduced in the Fortuna expansion, today’s update – The Profit-Taker – finally lets players take on the giant robot spider seen in Fortuna’s introductory missions. There’s also a new Warframe (reluctant warrior-monk Baruuk), some new weapons and the unlockable ability to call down heavy anti-spacecraft Archwing guns for use on foot. The patch notes are here, and a trailer below. (more…) Fortuna: The Profit-Taker Available Now!Dec 18, 2018 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/8cdd9842ce6db9d8bcc989c11b0e0f38aa924863.png Return to the Vallis, Tenno: We're taking down our first Orb Mother. Wield your Archweapons to destroy the Profit-Taker -- then walk the path of least resistance as Baruuk, the pacifist Warframe. https://youtu.be/qiH5O7bGTsU THE PROFIT-TAKER STING Here’s the score, Tenno: Nef has the entire Vallis on lockdown. Supply lines are cut off, and we can't get anyone in or out of Fortuna. So we’re planning something big. Something dangerous. We’re going to fight a massive, mechanical spider. An Orb Mother, to be precise. THE TARGET: THE PROFIT-TAKER The Profit-Taker is perched atop the Enrichment Labs on the outskirts of Fortuna. It's protected by Sentient overshield technology, making it invulnerable to weapons fire. https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/1d30883c940ec69d81991b8fbc41d27dfa3fc6b6.jpg THE PLAN: TAKE DOWN THE ORB MOTHER Before we can take on the Profit-Taker, we need to discover a weakness in its defenses. Work with Solaris United to get the intel and the tools you need to get the job done. https://media.giphy.com/media/1ncU3deTz5L9uQpg3j/giphy.gif THE ATTACK: BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS You’ll need serious firepower to take down the Profit-Taker. With the Gravimag, upgrade your Archweapons - previously only available to equip in space - for use in any mission! https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/b8adca5b8d39f7fac654a8a3177fff6d8052aa14.png SAVE NEW CREATURES The Business and his conservation team have three new Echo-Lures available. Use them to save three new species in the Vallis before the Corpus get to them first. New Floofs and a Conservation Emblem await your efforts! https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/e319b8cae644a12e68962425b8ff3d52be7cd5f1.png SAWGAW This crimson-faced bird of prey stalks the cliffs and fungal groves of Venus, searching for rodent prey. HORRASQUE This hideous creature is terrible to behold but will not attack unless provoked. When it does, its roar will shake the bowels of even the most steadfast tracker. STOVER The Stover is, in essence, a proto-Kubrow that resurrected when Venus thawed. When grouped in a pack, Stovers are relentless opponents. BECOME BARUUK, THE RELUCTANT WARRIOR A pacifist by nature, Baruuk’s calm manner erupts when he’s pushed to the edge. https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/5c5c13e3b6971e3a02225a57433bf9232f00952b.jpg ELUDE Dodge all incoming projectiles, but only while not attacking. Use again to deactivate this ability. LULL A calming wave slows enemies until they fall into a slumber. Enemies woken by damage will be confused and disoriented. Short-term amnesia means all waking enemies forget anything that happened before the lull. DESOLATE HANDS Summon a bevy of orbiting daggers to seek out enemy guns, destroying them with a s...Tennobaum 2018 - Let the gift-giving extravaganza begin!Dec 14, 2018 - Community Announcementshttps://media.giphy.com/media/4EFCRpmqtRCVvILnrK/giphy.gif VISIT TENNOBAUM SITE A mean one for sure, Nef Anyo has stolen Tennobaum! If the presents aren't replaced, we'll never know calm! We need your help to supply the pilfered presents, Tenno! From now until Friday, December 21 at 2 p.m. ET save this holiday season for the Solaris by sending gifts to friends and strangers alike. With the inclusion of Tenno on the Nintendo Switch, there’s even more gifting to be done. This year, Warframe has partnered with the Canadian Red Cross. The more gifts you give, the more we give and the more rewards you get! When we reach the top tier of gifting, Digital Extremes will make a $100,000 donation to the Canadian Red Cross. If you’d like to donate directly, you can do so here. Gifting and receiving gifts will unlock community-wide rewards in tiers! Every time you reach a tier, you’ll receive an Inbox message containing Glyphs, Weapon Skins and more. These are exclusive items you won’t want to miss. Learn more and see who’s reaching the top of the gifting leaderboards here. Be sure to check the leaderboard every day to see the Top Gifters! Tennobaum is truly the most wonderful time of year to be a Tenno. It’s an opportunity to make a positive difference both in and out of Warframe. Thank you for your contributions and happy gifting!From Epic Pinball to Warframe: 25 years of Digital ExtremesDec 14, 2018 - PC GamerToday Digital Extremes is known for its big free-to-play hit shooter, Warframe, but the studio has been around since PC gaming's early days. For 25 years DE has worked on old school classics like Epic Pinball, as well as Unreal, and underrated shooters like The Darkness 2. Founder James Schmalz started out learning coding tidbits from magazines before working alongside Epic luminaries Tim Sweeney and Mark Rein. DE's story is one of a studio that has fought hard for the opportunity to create its own property in an industry that's often tough on mid-sized independent developers trying to break out. I spoke to Schmalz earlier this week about the studio's story. PC Gamer: How did you get started developing games? James Schmalz: I’ve always been interested in games ever since I got an Apple II Plus computer, and during high school I’d make little games. I got into it professionally in university and I found out about shareware. I remember there were a few small games out at the time. I thought it sounded like a great way to get a small game some exposure without trying to get into the retail stores. My first real game was Solar Winds and it was distributed by Epic through the shareware model, and it did really well. A really interesting and good start. In grade nine was my first exposure to computers, to Apple II Plus computers at the high school, and I was absolutely fascinated by the computers and by all the games of course, and everything you could do with it. It definitely was a passion from the very moment I got my hands on one. How did you build on that first release? I was working with Mark Rein and Tim Sweeney back when they were just starting up Epic. Solar Winds, it came out, and it was making pretty decent money, just enough money on a per month basis that I could survive off of that and work on the next game. All the Epic games were incredibly helpful back then. They were learning how to do things and I was learning how to do things. There was a great sharing of information with the other developers they were working with. Massively educational. After Solar Winds I started work on Epic Pinball, and that turned out to be extraordinarily successful. How did you choose what to make at the time? Yeah back then it was really nice. Out of naivety, not understanding much, at that time I’m just thinking about what’s going to be fun to make, or what interests me. Solar Winds came out of me really liking the game Star Control and Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was a combination between those two things. It was something that captivated my mind. You were hoping for financial success but you weren’t really thinking of that because you didn’t know anything about it. When you get ten years on in the industry you’re primarily thinking ‘what’s going to be successful, what’s going to be this or that', and you’re thinking about all the...Discover Warframe's weird origins in 2008 shooter Dark SectorDec 13, 2018 - PC GamerThe concept for Warframe existed a decade or more before Warframe’s release in 2013. It’s common for studios to harbour ideas for new games that one day—budgets willing—they will have a chance to make. Rarely do entire chunks of those ideas turn up in entirely different games, however. Before Warframe, there was Dark Sector. As a Warframe player, revisiting this 2008 cover shooter has given me a very strange case of reverse déjà-vu. Dark Sector is a game about a man called Hayden Tenno who throws a homing glaive at anonymous foes. Warframe players will have already flagged that surname: Tenno is the term for the order of mysterious ancient warriors that inhabit Warframes. That seems like an odd throwaway connection until you reach the end of the prologue and Hayden is attacked by a ninja called Nemesis who looks… familiar. Later in the game Hayden finds a high-tech suit, and basically morphs into one of Warframe’s starter suits: Excalibur. Once you've seen these fully-formed examples of Warframe's visual design, a lot of other details pop out. The hazmat-suited human enemies you fight don't look too far away from the Corpus you fight in Warframe. There's a strain of infected that rush to engage you in close combat. They are grey, shambling zombies, but not too dissimilar to Warframe's colourful infected. It's too much of a stretch to suggest that Warframe shares a universe with Dark Sector—it would be a disappointment if the mythical Tenno were actually some leather-jacketed antiheroes from a late-2000s cover shooter. The Dark Sector Digital Extremes released in 2008 was very much of its time: a Gears of War-like with gory executions and a brooding main character. It comes from a vision that was heavily altered by market requirements. Earlier this week I spoke to Digital Extremes founder James Schmalz about his 25 year career (more on that tomorrow) and Warframe’s long gestation period. “It’s interesting because if you look at the original trailer for it’s very much what Warframe is now, " he says. "We had the seeds of kind of what Warframe is, way back then.” This is an early pitch video from Digital Extremes, and it shows a completely different vision for Dark Sector. The space station looks like one of Warframe's relays. The enemies are obviously the Grineer. Excalibur is there, and the yellow spider robot that shows up is Jackal, the final boss of Venus. The concept goes all the way back to 2002. “After the Unreal games at Digital Extremes we were really looking to build our own IP," says Schmalz, "Back up in Canada right up after that, right after Unreal Championship came out, we were working on an idea called Dark Sector." The 2008 game was released during a tough time for Digital Extremes. The studio worked hard to stay afloat doing a lot of work for hire jobs developing aspec...Mesa Prime Access Coming December 18!Dec 12, 2018 - Community AnnouncementsBecome the fastest gun in the system with Mesa Prime. This legendary gunslinger comes with the Akjagara Prime dual pistols, the long-awaited Redeemer Prime gunblade and more! https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/fdd25d0f100eab3691c1cab830e1887ef9062b54.png MESA PRIME ACCESS FEATURES Mesa Prime: Cast a long shadow with this lethal enforcer. Mesa Prime Glyphs: Embody Mesa Prime with these Prime Glyphs. Akjagara Prime: Precision machined mirrored pistols. Primed and ready. Redeemer Prime: Deal out double-barreled death with this primed gunblade. https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/30549895696e7758591c1d857974fffa395601e1.png MESA PRIME ACCESSORIES Operator Prime Accessories Anten Prime Operator Earpiece Respa Prime Operator Mask Erlang Prime Operator Oculus Don one, two, or all three fashionable Prime accessories and give your Operator a golden visage! https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/d11419384e94782f62f375a2a07141f4ce1a7ed1.jpg Also included in the Mesa Prime Accessories are: Cholla Prime Sugatra 90 Day Credit Booster 90 Day Affinity Booster https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/7da15ff0da4d6358b01e1c86aecdaef6af2a1831.png Mesa Prime, Akjagara Prime and Redeemer Prime Blueprints can also be earned in-game through Relics! Warframe players refuse to let Fortuna instance number 69 endDec 12, 2018 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun A group of hardcore number fans have kept Warframe‘s Fortuna 69 instance alive for over a month now, and developers Digital Extremes are lending a hand. Instance 69 of the Fortuna hub area has become a bit of a party zone with dedicated digitheads loitering round the clock to prevent the free-to-play action-RPG’s server instance from automatically shutting down. Digital Extremes even guided players through keeping the instance alive after a patch launch. Though I admire their commitment, I don’t ‘get’ the fad. As kids we all liked the number 7 best, then we got calculators in maths lessons and suddenly everyone was thrilled with 58008, then they were into 420, and now they can’t stop it with the 69… I can’t keep up. (more…) The next Warframe is a furious, punchy monkDec 10, 2018 - PC GamerThe newest Warframe poised to join the titular game’s roster is Baruuk, shown off recently by Digital Extremes. Baruuk doesn’t really like fighting, but it's a bad idea to piss him off. When he gets pushed too far, he unleashes the power bottled up inside him and, as the devs explain, “kicks ass”. You can see his flashy abilities in the latest developer stream . Baruuk’s restraint is represented by his Edge resource. As he murders his way through armies of enemies, he builds it up until he’s pushed to his limit, at which time he can use his ultimate ability, Savage. Using Savage drains his Edge but activates a fist exalted weapon that has a bunch of special combos with handy powers, including a block combo that drags enemies towards him. Other abilities build up Edge. Elude, his first ability, makes Baruuk phase in and out of reality—very fancy—so bullets pass right through him. Not only does it build up Edge, it also becomes increasingly powerful the more Edge you have. Sedative, meanwhile, makes enemies surrounding Baruuk take a nap, while Subdue disarms enemies and does a little bit of damage. Sedative and Subdue sound especially helpful, particularly for groups. While enemies are sleeping, for instance, they take extra damage from finishers, allowing the team to quickly take them all out. The effect lingers, too, so enemies walking into the area just after you use the ability will still get sleepy. There’s a lot going on with each ability—they’ve all got secondary effects and tricks. Baruuk’s not available yet, but you’ll be able to start hunting down parts for the new Warframe in the next Fortuna update. Cheers, PCGamesN . CHROMA PRIME ACCESS ENDS DECEMBER 18 - Plus: Banshee Prime and more enter the VaultDec 7, 2018 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/bf5df9f24ef19d0be12147282926cdd5f29dd324.jpg Don’t Scream, Tenno. You still have time to get Chroma Prime Access! On December 18, the elemental master makes way for a new Prime Warframe and new Prime Gear. Get Chroma Prime today before it’s too late! (Note: Chroma Prime Access on Nintendo Switch will end in early 2019.) Chroma Prime Access includes: Chroma Prime: The original lord of ruin. Elemental. Primal. Perfection. Chroma Prime Glyphs: Embody Chroma Prime with these Prime Glyphs Rubico Prime: For the hunter, the apex of the sniper's art; for the hunted, a gateway to the next life Gram Prime: Born anew, the father of swords returns Chroma Prime Accessories: Imugi Prime Armor Impetus Prime Syandana 90 Day Credit Booster 90 Day Affinity Booster Get them instantly with Prime Access! You can also find in-game Relics containing the Blueprints and Parts required to build Chroma Prime, Rubico Prime, and Gram Prime. Entering the Vault On December 18, the following items and their respective Relics will enter the Vault. These items will no longer be available in-game: - Banshee Prime - Helios Prime - Euphona Prime If these Prime Weapons and Warframes (or their Blueprints/Components and Relics) are already in your Inventory, they will remain after the Vaulting. Time is running out, Tenno. Don’t miss your chance to get Chroma Prime Access!Today: Devstream 120!Dec 7, 2018 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/1336870c5d5012bff64d69140f18ddb0d08c9a2e.jpg Who: Rebecca is joined by the usual suspects Geoff, Steve, Sheldon, and Scott! What: It’s time to bring Fortuna Part II’s newest Warframe ‘Baruuk’ out to play – and more. Titania and Nyx will be making an appearance too! And what’s this… a first look at our next Prime Access? And a deeper look at Fortuna Part II?! Buckle in! Prizes? Why yes, we will be giving away 3 x 1000 Platinum Prizes and during the Livestream as well as a Chroma Prime Access Pack! Where: Find us at: twitch.tv/Warframe to watch for a Twitch Drop, or if you're watching from your Switch, watch on the YouTube app! When: Join us today, December 7th at 2 p.m ET! See you there, Tenno! WINTER SOLSTICE 2018 - Seasonal Customizations are back for a limited time!Dec 5, 2018 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/708550b8d7ba851316569b55d3e7d4f3a18598e6.jpg Put on your . It’s winter in Warframe! For a limited time, our previous Winter Solstice Customizations are back on all platforms. Visit the in-game Market for a wide selection of seasonal cosmetics for your Warframes, Weapons, Companions and even your Dojo. https://media.giphy.com/media/1qgCtWkZYwAaj3UzBi/giphy.gif These items disappear again on January 9 at 2 p.m. ET. Get yours before they melt away. https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4437469/36e2229e0f570a4f9e16ce665d14e86f6938362f.jpg New Winter Glyph Pack Also available now are five new Winter Glyphs on PC. This pack will be available on consoles once each platform receives the Fortuna expansion. Stay warm, Tenno.Warframe’s Fortuna Update Sets New All-Time Peak Player Count Record for the Game on SteamNov 12, 2018 - GitHypReleased back in 2013, Warframe’s player base is still growing with each new update that developer Digital Extremes releases for the free-to-play sci-fi shooter.
Just a few months ago, Warframe’s highly anticipated story update, The Sacrifice, pushed the game to a new peak of 129k concurrent players on Steam. Before that, the game’s huge open world ‘Plains of Eidolon’ update spiked the player base to a record of 122k players at the time.
Now, one year after PoE, Warframe is still going strong with its latest update ‘Fortuna’ that has once again set a new all-time peak of 132k concurrent players over the weekend on Steam.
Warframe's increase in players comes as no surprise after we reported that viewer counts for the game's TennoCon event back in July were up 25x compared to last year on Twitch.
Similar to the Plains update which introduced an open world environment for players to fly around and hunt new objectives in, Fortuna brings new ‘K-Drive’ hoverboards to the snowy landscape of Venus and its mysterious underground cybernetic city.
Of course, as with every big Warframe update, there’s even more new content that has resulted in the game’s growth in players such as the ability to design and build new weapons and robotic companions, new enemies and bounties to capture, and a new blood-based Warframe by the name of Garuda.
Considering the game's age, Warframe’s continued growth has exceeded expectations and is proof that free-to-play games can be embraced by the PC and console gaming communities if done right by the developers.Warframe’s TennoCon 2018 Had 25 Times the Number of Viewers on Twitch Compared to Last Year’s EventJul 9, 2018 - GitHypMost Warframe fans would agree, last year’s ‘Plains of Eidolon’ announcement at TennoCon marked the game’s biggest and best moment since it launched five years ago.
But while last summer’s open-world reveal was a pivotal moment for the game, the live stream didn’t draw much attention on Twitch with a peak of only 17k live viewers and 33k concurrent viewers a few days later via popular streamer Lirik's channel.
This year’s third annual event, however, had more viewers than ever who didn't want to miss out on the excitement of TennoCon. So many in fact, that Warframe’s 414k concurrent viewers was enough to make it the most watched game Saturday on Twitch -- and the second most watched game this week right behind Fortnite.
Compared to last year, TennoCon 2018 brought in 25 times the number of viewers – or an increase of 2335% people watching on Twitch. Saturday’s peak also crushed the game’s previous peak of 88k viewers back in October 2017 when the Plains of Eidolon expansion officially launched.
One of the reasons for the stream's success was the developers at Digital Extremes enticing their fans to watch on Twitch by giving away free loot drops. Those who tuned in for thirty consecutive minutes with their Twitch and Warframe accounts linked were rewarded with a Ash Prime in-game Warframe.
The increase in viewers also reflects Warframe’s growing popularity on Steam. The free-to-play game's player base also saw a huge spike during PoE’s launch, peaking at 122k players in October. And more recently brought in 129k players last month for the latest ‘Sacrifice’ story update.
With a new city, hoverboards, and ship-to-ship combat all coming soon in the 'Fortuna' update, this year's event certainly did not disappoint its new fan base. And with the developers’ continued support and even more players soon on Nintendo Switch, TennoCon is quickly becoming another can’t-miss annual event like BlizzCon and E3.
Edit: We originally reported that the viewer count was up 13 times compared to last year, however, viewer counts for TennoCon 2017 were lower than we first thought. The 33k concurrent viewers were actually for a Lirik stream a few days after TennoCon and Digital Extreme's live stream only brought in a total of 17k concurrent viewers.
Warframe's increase in players comes as no surprise after we reported that viewer counts for the game's TennoCon event back in July were up 25x compared to last year on Twitch.
Similar to the Plains update which introduced an open world environment for players to fly around and hunt new objectives in, Fortuna brings new ‘K-Drive’ hoverboards to the snowy landscape of Venus and its mysterious underground cybernetic city.
Of course, as with every big Warframe update, there’s even more new content that has resulted in the game’s growth in players such as the ability to design and build new weapons and robotic companions, new enemies and bounties to capture, and a new blood-based Warframe by the name of Garuda.
Considering the game's age, Warframe’s continued growth has exceeded expectations and is proof that free-to-play games can be embraced by the PC and console gaming communities if done right by the developers.Warframe’s TennoCon 2018 Had 25 Times the Number of Viewers on Twitch Compared to Last Year’s EventJul 9, 2018 - GitHypMost Warframe fans would agree, last year’s ‘Plains of Eidolon’ announcement at TennoCon marked the game’s biggest and best moment since it launched five years ago.
But while last summer’s open-world reveal was a pivotal moment for the game, the live stream didn’t draw much attention on Twitch with a peak of only 17k live viewers and 33k concurrent viewers a few days later via popular streamer Lirik's channel.
This year’s third annual event, however, had more viewers than ever who didn't want to miss out on the excitement of TennoCon. So many in fact, that Warframe’s 414k concurrent viewers was enough to make it the most watched game Saturday on Twitch -- and the second most watched game this week right behind Fortnite.
Compared to last year, TennoCon 2018 brought in 25 times the number of viewers – or an increase of 2335% people watching on Twitch. Saturday’s peak also crushed the game’s previous peak of 88k viewers back in October 2017 when the Plains of Eidolon expansion officially launched.
One of the reasons for the stream's success was the developers at Digital Extremes enticing their fans to watch on Twitch by giving away free loot drops. Those who tuned in for thirty consecutive minutes with their Twitch and Warframe accounts linked were rewarded with a Ash Prime in-game Warframe.
The increase in viewers also reflects Warframe’s growing popularity on Steam. The free-to-play game's player base also saw a huge spike during PoE’s launch, peaking at 122k players in October. And more recently brought in 129k players last month for the latest ‘Sacrifice’ story update.
With a new city, hoverboards, and ship-to-ship combat all coming soon in the 'Fortuna' update, this year's event certainly did not disappoint its new fan base. And with the developers’ continued support and even more players soon on Nintendo Switch, TennoCon is quickly becoming another can’t-miss annual event like BlizzCon and E3.
Edit: We originally reported that the viewer count was up 13 times compared to last year, however, viewer counts for TennoCon 2017 were lower than we first thought. The 33k concurrent viewers were actually for a Lirik stream a few days after TennoCon and Digital Extreme's live stream only brought in a total of 17k concurrent viewers.
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