Digital Extremes' Warframe is one of the longest-lasting live-service games on the market, having started its free-to-play romp back in 2013. Some of the game's oldest fans may well remember that DE's sci-fi adventure ambitions started earlier still, with the original concept behind Dark Sector: a game that embodied many of Warframe's core design principles at first, only to eventually be retrofitted into a bog standard (albeit charming) cover-based third-person shooter. Well, Dark Sector has always had more than a few parallels with Warframe proper, and those parallels may be explored in a new context with Warframe: 1999.

Notably, Digital Extremes recently revealed one of Warframe's two upcoming expansions, those being Whispers in the Walls and Warframe: 1999. 1999 is due to launch sometime in 2024, and what's really notable about it is that it appears to take players far, far away from the central conflict of the Sol system. Instead, it is seemingly set in an alternative version of the year 1999.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6NyR1Gfvr8

Is Warframe: 1999 a Dark Sector revival?

Digital Extremes has, historically, never been too concerned about whether the team will stray too far away from Warframe's core lore and gameplay principles. This has resulted in a remarkably layered but also fragmented experience, where not all of the game's features necessarily interact with one another. It's always been a bit strange, then, that the studio chose not to do anything with Dark Sector, short of releasing some of its cosmetics as microtransactions in Warframe.

It's worth pointing out that DE itself hasn't come out and said that 1999 is a re-envisioning of Dark Sector. The similarities, however, are certainly striking. The protagonist of Warframe: 1999 is a mystery man known as Arthur, who is - for whatever reason - fielding the Excalibur bodysuit with an old-school combat harness and other various tidbits of regular, modern-day kit. His enemies? The techno-organic plague, which may or may not have something to do with the mad scientist type (Entrati) who appears at the end of the trailer. The similarities with Dark Sector's Hayden Tenno are impossible to ignore.

Now, it's anyone's guess whether Digital Extremes is actually gunning to reenvision Dark Sector in the context of Warframe's own lore, but that certainly looks like what's going on. Warframe veterans may wish to keep an eye out for 1999, then, as it has the potential of being remarkably interesting to those who enjoy the game's wacky lore.

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Out of Beta, into Early Access

The online Action RPG Wayfinder is almost ready for Early Access. After a handful of beta events, Digital Extremes announced Wayfinder will be hitting Early Access on August 15. Founder's Packs will be available in several tiers with each offering access to Wayfinder as well as two seasons of unique rewards. Of course, each founder's pack has its own separate cosmetic rewards as well. The ARPG will launch on both PC (Steam) and PlayStation with full cross-play and cross-save support.

Publisher Digital Extremes and developer Airship Syndicate also unveiled an all-new playable sharpshooter class called the Venomess: here's the trailer showing off the new class and announcing the upcoming Early Access.

https://youtu.be/0TdDWdfhAMU

An interactive Battle Pass that never expires

Each founder's pack will also grant you access to the Season 1 and 2 Reward Towers. This unique battle pass will allow you to choose your own path toward earning unique seasonal rewards. Unlocks from the Rewards Tower include exclusive characters, Sprays, Charms, pets, and other cosmetics. Interestingly, each season's Battle Pass in Wayfinder never expires allowing players to grind it out how they want and when they want.

I had the chance to play in the Wayfinders beta and it definitely shows some promise. The fast-paced combat felt quite satisfying. Also, the varying playstyles of each class provide the potential for true class identity and agency. Overall it was way too mission-based for my liking, but that's exactly what Waframe fans are accustomed to. The ability to team up with friends and blast through high-intensity action in an online setting is great, even if it's not quite MMO-like. Even Warframe opened up into the more traditional MMO experience over time, so perhaps Wayfinder will do its own twist with Airship Syndicate at the helm.

Wayfinder hits early access on PC (Steam) and PlayStation on August 15.

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Don't Pay to Play

Gaming can quite quickly become an expensive hobby. The non-stop conga line of fantastic games this year has made it harder than ever to play without hurting your wallet. Not every worthwhile experience has a price tag on it, however. With the following PS5 titles, you'll have a blast without spending a cent.

[caption id="attachment_387340" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Respawn Entertainment.[/caption]

10. Apex Legends

When it comes to free-to-play games, fans of first-person shooters have more than enough to pick from. Apex Legends is a battle-royale style game featuring a cast of characters serving as either Recon, Support, Skirmisher, Assault, or Controller. With a good variety of guns and maps, it is a title that easily hooks players for hours at a time.

[caption id="attachment_387345" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Bungie.[/caption]

9. Destiny 2

Yet another first-person shooter appears on the list in the form of Destiny 2. It has managed to remain relevant thanks to constant expansions, including Lightfall in 2023. With Sony's acquisition of Bungie, it appears the franchise will be supported for a long time to come.

[caption id="attachment_387344" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Digital Extremes.[/caption]

8. Warframe

The third-person shooter Warframe was first released in 2013, and it has maintained popularity since. It uses a mix of both procedurally generated and fixed levels that have players using guns and stealth. With new expansions regularly released, it's always a good time to start playing Warframe.

[caption id="attachment_387342" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

7. Sky: Children of Light

Sky is a game that is best experienced instead of described. Players who enjoyed titles like Journey and Flower will instantly fall in love with Sky. Much like the aforementioned titles, Sky features a minimalistic style of storytelling along with multiplayer elements implemented in unexpected ways. Play Sky, it may be the best thing you do all week.

[caption id="attachment_387339" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Maxis Studios.[/caption]

6. The Sims 4

The popular life simulation game The Sims 4 went free-to-play in 2022, breathing new life into a somewhat dated game. Although the controls on consoles are occasionally awkward, The Sims 4 is definitely worth playing. It has earned its longevity through its expansive gameplay, detailed character creator system, and quirky humor that has characterized the franchise for years.

[caption id="attachment_387343" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Epic Games.[/caption]

5. Fortnite

It's hard to make any free-to-play list without including Fortnite. Over five years after its initial release, it has since grown into a phenomenon encompassing celebrities, music concerts, and various other gaming franchises. Nevertheless, it remains ol' reliable when it comes to exciting battle royale gameplay.

[caption id="attachment_387359" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Blizzard.[/caption]

4. Overwatch 2

The first-person shooter Overwatch 2 is one of the most popular games of its type around. Gameplay is fast-paced and fun, with a learning curve that's not too steep. The player base is very active, ensuring you can jump into the action at any time.

[caption id="attachment_387341" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

3. Rocket League

When it comes to addictive gameplay, it's hard to do better than Rocket League. Released in 2015, it has players playing soccer with rocket-powered vehicles. It has since developed a competitive scene, though casual players can still easily join at any time. In 2020, it went free-to-play, opening the game to an even wider audience.

[caption id="attachment_387338" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

2. Fall Guys

Fall Guys launched in August 2020, and it was an immediate record-breaking hit. Though it may not make as many headlines in 2023, Fall Guys is still a silly battle royale game with an active user base. Much like the show Takeshi's Castle, players are tasked with completing an assortment of games and obstacle courses. Little beans are the competitors, which makes things all the more sillier.

[caption id="attachment_387336" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

1. Astro's Playroom

Astro's Playroom is bundled with the PS5, and it familiarizes players with the features of the DualSense, as well as the blinding speed of the console's SSD. It is, without a doubt, a must-play for every PS5 owner, and years later it remains one of the best showcases of the PS5's abilities.

The game features gorgeous visuals that reference many classic PlayStation franchises, and the platforming gameplay is both fun and varied. The only wish now is that the PSVR 2 receives a similar title.

There is a good variety of free-to-play games available on PS5, and they'll satisfy fans of sports games, shooters, and platformers. Upcoming free-to-play games to look out for include the soccer game UFC, as well as the MMORPG Throne and Liberty.

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Things seem to be getting strange(r) in Warframe

The popular online multiplayer game Warframe is getting its next big piece of content next month. The Duviri Paradox expansion for Warframe arrives in April, bringing its own style of experience to the sci-fi game.

As premiered during today's March Devstream, a teaser showed off some more of the theme and vibe for The Duviri Paradox. The story follows the Drifter, stuck in a shifting and changing world, going up against the Child King ruler Dominus Thrax.

Publisher and developer Digital Extremes is billing this as a roguelike-inspired Open World experience, which will be accessible to both new and old players. You can get a glimpse of what that looks like here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl_4SobiEHs

During today's stream, the team also shared more about the different improvements to the Warframe experience and what's in store for this update. Crucially, there are three different game modes you'll be greeted with when kicking off your journey. "The Circuit" will be a new, Warframe Only endless game mode, while "The Duviri Experience" will be a full open world adventure. For those who want some solo story, "The Lone Story" will provide that. You can learn more from the Twitch VOD here.

No date was locked in, just the April window; but more information about The Duviri Paradox and its date will be coming "soon."

A true paradox

I'm admittedly not a huge Warframe person, though that's mostly from never having played more than a few hours of it. Today's announcement caught my eye, though, with its statement that players new and old could both hop in.

Those who have taken the plunge with Warframe have frequently sung its praises, so an onboard ramp is certainly appealing to me. Plus, a roguelike option in a constantly updating game is curious to me, in and of itself. We'll see just what the paradox holds when The Duviri Paradox hits Warframe sometime next month.

For those who want to celebrate the new content in-person, there's an additional bit of good news: Digital Extremes will be hosting TennoCon in-person later this year on August 26 in London, Ontario.

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Don't lose your way (finder)

Airship Syndicate is teaming up with the studio behind Warframe for a new multiplayer title. Wayfinder is a co-op action RPG that mixes fantasy and tech for some co-op action RPG adventures.

Revealed at tonight's Game Awards 2022, Wayfinder is a new action RPG for PC and consoles, aiming for 2023. Creative director Joe "Mad" Madureira, of Battle Chasers fame, is at the helm with Airship Syndicate. Digital Extremes, the company behind Warframe, is publishing.

Wayfinder is set in the world of Evenor, which is gradually being consumed by Gloom. Wayfinders (the players) take up the mantle and fight the Gloom, working to fight back against its spread together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYFU7jrMAIM

Each Wayfinder has their own unique story to explore and play style to utilize. You can collect and craft gear to improve your loadout, while also boosting up your character themselves. Runs can be customized with unique modifiers and challenges to offer special hunting and gathering chances.

The draw is multiplayer, and it looks like you can set out with a pretty decently sized party. Alongside fighting the Gloom, there's also an at-home customization element with the player's Apartment.

Finding a way forward

While Airship Syndicate and Digital Extremes are aiming for 2023 on PC and console, you'll potentially be able to play Wayfinder before the year's out. A closed playtest is being held for Wayfinder starting on Tuesday, December 13. If you want to try it out, you can head over to the Wayfinder PC playtest sign-ups here. Meanwhile, PlayStation playtests will be held in January.

Then, in spring 2023, the duo of Airship and Extremes aims to launch Wayfinder into Early Access on PC and PlayStation. A free-to-play full launch is expected to follow in fall 2023, and embrace Digital Extremes' "free-and-fair" monetization policy, according to a press release.

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Get a new frame for free

Digital Extremes' live-service shooter Warframe is celebrating the reveal its 50th Warframe. And in honor of this milestone, that Warframe will be free for a limited time.

Players can add Styanax, the 50th Warframe, to their arsenal for free for a limited time. The new frame will go live in September on all platforms as part of the Veilbreaker update. The new warrior will be available for up to two weeks, after the update launches.

If you're unfamiliar with Warframe, it's a free-to-play live-service shooter where the player can operate different mechanized suits called Warframes. Each one has its own special abilities and design, letting players swap around how they play.

Styanax is inspired by Greek mythology, specifically the warrior Astyanax, the son of Hector. He's a powerful warrior, and a new animated short shows off some of his moves alongside some backstory of the Warframe universe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gi_9Ypouuc

Back in action

The Veilbreaker update will also bring back Grineer Kahl-175 as a playable character, in a new quest following the events of The New War. Here's the description:

"After a curious signal is picked up by Daughter of the Entrati family, the Tenno are contacted to investigate a Murex ship near Deimos and find its source. As Kahl, players will utilize new powerful abilities and tech gained along the way to fight their way through a Sentient onslaught and returning Archon boss enemies aboard the Murex while circumventing their intriguing technology to locate and safely release his brothers from imprisonment."

Veilbreaker will add new customizations and accessories, alongside reworks to various systems. New cosmetics will also be made available, including some Kahl-175 exclusive ones.

Warframe has really stood the test of time, garnering a significant following over the years it's been out. With its 50th Warframe coming next month alongside more content, it's a nice little boon for longtime fans, or a decent way to pick up a new kit if you're starting the game out.

The Veilbreaker update for Warframe will be out on all platforms in September 2022.

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Did I get enough buzz words in that headline?

One big issue with writing for Destructoid while also working a full-time job is that it's very difficult to keep up with those games-as-a-service titles I love while also doing all the reviews, previews, and general articles that are of interest to me. It's too easy for these games to fall to the wayside, which is exactly what happened to Warframe about a year ago. Despite the many hours I put into it on Switch, I just couldn't catch up and keep up with everything Digital Extremes was putting out. Hopefully, I'll be better at managing my time when Soulframe launches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CT_jYWIG1A

Easily the biggest announcement at Saturday's TennoCon, Digital Extremes whipped an impressively beautiful and cryptic trailer for its Soulframe reveal. Announced as a free-to-play action hybrid-MMORPG that takes place in a fantasy setting, this will be the next original game from Digital Extremes and arguably its biggest undertaking since beginning work on Warframe. In addition to the trailer linked above (which is sadly age-restricted), Digital Extremes also launched the game's website with a few pieces of concept art.

“With Soulframe’s worldbuilding and thematic elements, we are really looking to go back to our childhood favorites and pull inspiration from the elaborate fantasy worlds that we fell in love with growing up,” Soulframe Creative Director Geoff Crookes said in a press release. “Our team is really interested in this idea of nature and humanity colliding and we’ll be exploring a lot of those themes through our own lens while playing with ideas of restoration and exploration.”

While some big names within Digital Extremes are moving over to the Soulframe team, the developer was quick to confirm that it will keep supporting, expanding, and updating its flagship title Warframe.

Much more for Warframe

Speaking of Warframe, Digital Extremes shared some new details on the highly anticipated Duviri Paradox expansion. Set the release on all platforms this winter, The Duviri Paradox begins a new chapter of the Warframe storyline with an expansive world and a looping day cycle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxbNAraWhiU

Beyond The Duviri Paradox, Digital Extremes also took time at TennoCon 2022 to reveal Styanax as the 50th Warframe, announce the Veilbreaker update will be coming soon to all platforms, and confirm that Rebecca Ford, the Live Operations & Community Director at Digital Extremes, has taken over as Creative Director for Warframe as Steve Sinclair moves over to Soulframe.

Beyond the Soulframe reveal, my favorite announcement yesterday was the confirmation that community testing will start soon for cross-play. Back when it first launched, I tested the waters of the PlayStation 5 version of Warframe and was completely blown away by how gorgeous the game looked. After putting a few hours into that, it was tough to go back to the just-okay-looking Switch version. The only problem is I put so much time into the game on Switch, I can't bring myself to start from scratch on PS5. That's a big reason why I dropped off it in favor of its competitors. So, the sooner cross-play and cross-progression get here for Warframe, the better.

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A New War, different from the old war

TennoCon 2021 is coming up this weekend, with a look at what's ahead for the free-to-play multiplayer game Warframe. Today, Digital Extremes is revealing just what's set to be revealed: an interactive preview of the upcoming expansion, The New War.

The gameplay reveal of The New War expansion will take place during TennoLive, on July 17 at 5 p.m. ET. on the Warframe Twitch channel. There will also be a one-time "interactive preview" event, providing a sneak peek at the new content coming to Warframe. You can check out a teaser of the upcoming expansion below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6IjR8B5678

Old enemies will be returning as part of The New War, but there will also be some reasons to tune in besides seeing familiar faces. Digital Extremes will be dropping some in-game Warframe goodies, including a Vastilok Gunblade for watching 30 consecutive minutes between 12:30 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. ET, and a Loki Prime Warframe for watching the same length of time during the TennoLive segment. You can find the full schedule and drop info on the TennoCon site.

This year's TennoCon is, much like 2020's event, being held online due to health and safety concerns. But while the pandemic may keep folks apart, there will still be activities for attendees, including an in-game relay event with its own rewards.

TennoCon 2021 will also have its own charity partner, with donations being made to the Unity Project for Relief of Homelessness with funds raised from sales of the TennoCon packs.

I've not played too much Warframe myself, because I can only balance so many live-service games. But as someone who does play other constantly-updating games, the festivities around TennoCon certainly impress from a distance. In-game events are certainly a cool way to bolster the reveal and foster some community in lieu of real-world meet-ups, and the ever-evolving Warframe always seems to have some wild new additions up its sleeves. I mean, they got mechs last year. That rules.

TennoCon 2021 will air live on Twitch this Saturday, July 17.

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