Warframe: 1999 takes place in an alternate “what-if” scenario set during the eponymous year. The expansion will have players take on single-player quests as they try and defend the city of Höllvania against the Scaldra army and the Techrot infestation.

The expansion will have players explore Höllvania and take on four different mission types. Players can also take part in a PvPvE game type objective-based relay race, dubbed Faceoff. The expansion features a host of new rewards for players to earn, including 90s-styled cosmetics.

Warframe: 1999 will also feature quality-of-life features, including reworks for the Trinity and Nyx frames, increased weapon capacity and Warframe slots, and the removal of cooldowns on failed Mastery Rank tests.

Since it’s only accessible through Warframe, it’s a lot for new players to download the entire game to try it out. The response from the hardcore has been positive, though there have been complaints of being unable to shoot weapons on the Atomicycle. It’s unknown if this will change when the expansion drops, so stay tuned for updates.

Warframe: 1999 follows the Protoframes in the titular year, with the player controlling Arthur (voiced by Ben Starr) as he embarks on a quest to find Dr. Entrati. Along the way, he’ll deal with Scaldra and On-Lyne, later revealed as an Infested boy band in the current timeline.

There’s also a playable Extermination Mission with players taking down Scaldra. Further details on its content are unknown, though the developer confirmed that players must complete the quests “Awakening” and “Vor’s Prize” to play the demo. Once complete, you’ll receive the Protokol Longsword Skin for free.

Warframe: 1999 is the next mainline quest for the free-to-play action RPG. It stars the Protoframes, who are trying to find Dr Entrati, engaging in more grounded combat than the base game. While all this is happening, players must also deal with the Technocyte Code (which also has ties to 1999), to destroy their virus, On-Lyne.

Check out extensive gameplay here and stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

STORY

Digital Extremes is crafting an entirely new world with Soulframe, and though those who have played its Preludes (which is what the developer has dubbed its playtests) have already gotten a decent taste of its fantasy setting, the developer has shared new details for everyone to dive into. Specifically, Soulframe will see players playing as an Envoy, a rogue Ode looking to heal the curse of your former group that has corrupted the world. Digital Extremes has stressed on a few occasions that Soulframe is going to be heavily fantasy themed, as opposed to Warframe’s sci-fi setting, and is going to focus on themes such as restoration and nature. The latter in particular is, of course, something that is abundantly visible even at a glance, courtesy of the game’s many, densely overgrown environments.

STARTING ISLAND

Digital Extremes has been pretty careful in not calling Soulframe an open world game, instead describing the free to play MMO as a game that will allow players to freely explore a large overworld. Exactly how large is that overworld going to be, however? In an interview (via MP1st), the developer recently revealed that Soulframe’s starting island is going to be twice as large as the Plains of Eidolon area in Warframe. For those who are unaware, is a pretty damn large area in and of itself- which means you can expect a sizeable overworld in Soulframe upon release.

CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION

Character customization is something that Digital Extremes has prided itself on with Warframe (one of several things, actually), and Soulframe being an MMORPG is, of course, going to attempt to follow in its footsteps. As part of its recent showing, we got a decent look at its customization mechanics, which, interestingly enough, will see players customization the look of their in-game mother, a Night Maiden. Players will be able to customize her eyes, hair, skin tone, and more, which in turn will determine your character’s physical attributes.

GEAR

Beyond cosmetic customization elements, you can, of course, expect a robust gear and equipment system as well. This is an RPG, after all. For instance, you can equip various different Pacts, each of which comes with unique idols, which in turn are special weapons of sorts that need to be charged up to be used. In addition to that, there are various armour pieces and armour sets, helms, and weapons, with different gear pieces bringing unique benefits and buffs. Digital Extremes says the game will encourage plenty of meaningful build variety, allowing players to tailor their character to their preferred play style, including ranged options.

MASTERY

Interestingly, it has also been confirmed that Soulframe will feature a Mastery system that won’t be too different in how it works from the one in Warframe. Speaking during the aforementioned roundtable interview, the developers explained how it will tie in with other systems, including your aforementioned Pacts, your levels, and more. “It actually does have a very similar mastery rank system,” they said. “You have your Envoy, which is your character, and then you have your Pact, which is your cursed armour. Your Pact is a class that you can level up. And then, for every Pact you level up, your Envoy gains a level. And then they have three RPG stats, that are what we call the Virtues. And that feeds back into the system as well.”

ANCESTORS

One of the key systems in Soulframe is going to be ancestory. Specifically, the action RPG will allow players to recruit and bring back various ancestors to the Nightfold, which is essentially a hub location tucked away in an alternate dimension. Every ancestor is essentially an expert, each boasting different skills that you can make use of in various ways.

VERMINIA, THE RAT WITCH

A new ancestor in Soulframe that we got a look at during the game’s recent gameplay presentation was Verminia, the Rat Witch, who is going to be particularly useful for players time and again. The so called Rat Witch will not only enhance the customization of your cosmetics, she will also enable you to concoct various potions and elixirs.

ENEMIES

Digital Extremes’ recent showing of Soulframe also offered us new glimpses at some of the enemies that we will be locking horns with in the game. One enemy that we saw quite a bit of in a combat encounter in the recent gameplay was dubbed Nimrod, who is apparently a recurring foe. Wielding a tesla coiled staff, this enemy is capable of manipulating thunder and electricity, so these encounters should prove interesting- in theory, at least. Another enemy that we got a brief glimpse of was Bromius, who is an armoured bear, though we don’t know much else about him.

EARLY ACCESS LAUNCH

The wait for Soulframe has stretched on a couple of years, but Digital Extreme says it won’t be much longer before we’re playing it. The developer says the game will have “some form” of an early access launch later this year. Exactly what that means remains to be seen, but though we do not have a date, or do not know exactly what the scale of the game’s release will be, Digital Extremes has said the game’s Preludes will be opened up for everyone in the fall. There are also going to be founders packs available for purchase, though apparently, they are going to be “way less” exclusives than the founders packs for Warframe were. Beyond that, this is, of course, an entirely free to play game.

POTENTIALLY ROUGH RELEASE

Digital Extremes is being quite honest as it sets expectations for Soulframe’s early access release later this year. As per creative director Geoff Crookes (via Wccftech), the game is going to launch in a potentially rough state, though as per Crookes, working on the game based on feedback from players is going to be central to how Digital Extremes handles things, just as it did with Warframe. “The closed testing we’ve been doing with our community has been so impactful,” Crookes said. “We’ve learned a ton, and we continue to listen and learn each day. We’re hoping to open this up to a lot more players this Fall. Everything is still rough around the edges, but that’s part of our style – the feedback is important to us, and we really do iterate on it regularly.”

It will serve as a prologue to Warframe: 1999. Though details are scant, the developer teases The Man in the Wall (one of the major antagonists) not sitting “idly by.” Thus far, the latter’s faction, The Murmur, looks to escape Dr Albrecht Entrati’s labs, which would be bad for the Origin System.

Considering the Protoframes in the expansion are looking for Entrati, it’s safe to say that the outcome of 1999 could influence The Murmur. How is the Infested boy band On-Lyne, the Technocyte Coda, involved? Time will tell, so stay tuned.

Warframe: 1999 is out free this Winter for all platforms. Check out some extensive gameplay here. You can also learn more about Digital Extremes’ other project, Soulframe.

After conversing at their base, protagonist Arthur Nightingale sets out to meet Entrati with other members offering backup on some sleek motorcycles. He quickly runs into Major Neci Rusalka and battles several enemies, including an H-04 Efervon Tank. Eventually, he runs into who else but Excalibur and engages in a sword fight.

The gameplay then cuts back to the Origin System, with the Tenno in their Railjack investigating a strange tune. It eventually leads to a confrontation against the Technocyte Coda responsible for the On-lyne virus (the same name as the boy band in 1999).

Stay tuned for more details and gameplay on Warframe: 1999 in the coming months.

The gameplay footage showcased shed new light on everything from the customization mechanics to crafting potions and elixirs (both of which will be done by Verminia, the Rat Witch), while a fair bit of combat was also shown off, as you would expect.

A new enemy type called Nimrod was showcased. A recurring foe, it is equipped with a tesla-coiled melee staff while also being capable of summoning thunder. Additionally, a boss fight with gigantic armoured bear Bromius was also teased, while new details on the game’s setting, story, and lore were alsor evealed. You can check out the full presentation below. 

Soulframe is in development for PC. A release date has yet to be announced. 

The end of the teaser is interesting because it teases the inclusion of Volt, or the 1999 equivalent of the same (Arthur seemingly represents Excalibur while Aoi is Mag). A new reveal is coming July 20th, with the developer teasing that last year’s demo “barely scratched the surface” and it can’t wait to “show you what’s next.”

Of course, those who watch at 4:30 PM ET on Twitch can receive Saryn Prime for free. TennoCon 2024 kicks off on July 19th at 11 AM ET. Those who watch for 30 minutes can receive an AX-52 Rifle as a free weapon drop.

Warframe: 1999 launches sometime this year, so stay tuned for potential release date news during the event. Warframe is available for PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Nintendo Switch and iOS.

For context, Digital Extremes was originally slated to publish Wayfinder for Airship Syndicate. The company, however, has since shut down its publishing wing, transferring ownership and publishing rights of Wayfinder back to Airship Syndicate.

The studio has stated that it has quite a few changes for Wayfinder planned. These plans, which also include the ability for the game to have a feasible business model for Airship Syndicate to exist as an independent publisher of its own game, haven’t been revealed yet. Owing to this, the studio has turned off new sales of the game. Those who already own the game can still play it, however.

“When we founded Airship it was to create great games in compelling worlds, with memorable characters and adventures,” said the studio in its announcement. “With those core principles in mind, we’ve spent the last several months working behind the scenes, challenging some of the core ideas in Wayfinder and creating an experience that remains consistent with our standards and beliefs.”

“We did this while keeping in mind that we want to respect our founders and excite new players – all while staying feasible as a business model for us as a new independent publisher. We plan to share these changes soon, but we aren’t quite ready.”

“Due to these changes, we’ve turned off new sales of the game for the time being,” it said. “Those who have purchased Wayfinder can still access and play as normal with no interruptions.”

Wayfinder was originally released back in August 2023 as an early access title. Owing to its rocky launch, however, the game got a fair bit of criticism from players, prompting an apology from the studio.

Along with gameplay, the trailer also gives us hints of the game’s story through what seems to be an in-universe poem recited over footage of some of the different play styles that will be available in the game, from sneaking around to engaging in all-out attacks.

Having been in development for quite some time, Soulframe got an early test back in December. The test featured a section of the game’s main island, complete with dungeons to fight through. Players were also allowed some experimentation with customization options and progression systems.

The game got a more in-depth gameplay demo showcase back in August 2023, which gave us a good look at some of its environments, boss fights, and most importantly, the combat.

Soulframe currently doesn’t have a release date.