Warframe is a free-to-play action role-playing third-person shooter multiplayer online game created and published by Digital Extremes. It was first released for Windows in March 2013. Later, it was made available on PlayStation 4 in November 2013, Xbox One in September 2014, Nintendo Switch in November 2018, PlayStation 5 in November 2020, Xbox Series X/S in April 2021, iOS in February 2024, Android in Canada on February 11, 2026, and globally on Android on February 18, 2026. It was also released on Nintendo Switch 2 on March 25, 2026. Cross-platform play became available in 2022, and cross-platform save features started in December 2023, fully launching for all players in January 2024.
In Warframe, players control members of the Tenno, a group of ancient warriors who awaken from long periods of suspended animation in Earth’s distant future. They fight against different factions in the Origin System. The Tenno use powerful Warframes, weapons, and abilities to complete missions. Many missions use levels that are randomly generated, but the game also includes large open-world areas and story-specific missions with fixed level designs. The game combines shooting, melee combat, parkour, and role-playing elements to help players improve their Tenno’s gear. It includes both player versus environment and player versus player gameplay. Players can buy in-game items using money through microtransactions, or they can earn them for free by completing tasks.
The idea for Warframe began in 2000 when Digital Extremes worked on a game called Dark Sector. At the time, the company wanted to create its own game. Dark Sector was released in 2008 but had many changes from the original plan. By 2012, after the success of free-to-play games, the developers used ideas and art from Dark Sector to create Warframe, which they published themselves. At first, Warframe grew slowly due to average reviews and few players. However, the game has grown significantly since its release and became one of Digital Extremes’ most successful titles. By 2019, it had nearly 50 million registered players.
Plot
Warframe is set in a future version of our Solar System, now called the Origin System. At the beginning of the game, players control members of the Tenno, warriors who wake up from a long sleep on Earth after being helped by the Lotus, a guide for the player. The Tenno join a war between several groups: the Grineer, cloned humans who follow strict military rules; the Corpus, a powerful company that acts like a cult; the Infested, people changed by a virus; the Sentients, machines created by a long-dead race called the Orokin; and the Corrupted, brainwashed soldiers from the first three groups defending ancient Orokin buildings.
All the groups in the game, including the Tenno, were created by or are related to the old Orokin Empire, a powerful civilization that once ruled the Origin System. Though most of the Orokin are long gone by the time the Tenno awaken, their influence still affects the Origin System. Before their fall, the Orokin noticed the Origin System was running out of resources and sent ships to new star systems to settle. They used a space between dimensions called the Void to travel quickly. They also sent the Sentients to a system called Tau first, to prepare it for human life. None of the ships sent to settle new worlds returned, and the Sentients who went with the ships returned with a plan to destroy the Orokin, leading to a war, the creation of the Tenno, and the fall of the Empire.
In the game's "The Second Dream" quest, introduced in December 2015, players learn the Lotus is a Sentient named Natah, who fights against other Sentients to protect the Tenno. Natah wants to raise children after losing the ability to have them. Natah's father, Hunhow, sends an assassin called the Stalker to Lua, the remains of Earth's Moon, where the Lotus had hidden something in the Void. The Lotus sends the Tenno to stop the Stalker, but it is too late. The Stalker reveals the Lotus was protecting a human child called the Operator, who is the real Tenno controlling the Warframes. The Operator is one of several children who survived a journey through the Void on the Zariman Ten 0 ship. The adults on the ship became mad, and the children were put into a long sleep until the Lotus found them and made them the Tenno. The Void gave the children the ability to control Warframes, called Transference. From this point, players can play as both the Warframe and the Operator.
Later updates added more stories. "The War Within" quest introduced the Grineer Queens, leaders of the Grineer, and their Kuva Fortress, a base on an asteroid. It also let the Operator act as a separate character the player can control. Other updates introduced figures like "The Man In The Wall," a mysterious being from the Void that appears as the Operator, and Ballas, a last surviving Orokin believed to have created the Warframes.
Gameplay
Warframe is an online action game that combines elements of shooters, role-playing games (RPGs), and stealth games.
The player begins with a silent character known as a 'Warframe,' which is a human-like, part-machine combat unit. This character has supernatural speed and special powers, along with weapons (such as primary, secondary, and melee) and a spaceship called an 'Orbiter.' The Orbiter is controlled by a Cephalon, a type of artificial intelligence made from human minds. The Cephalon on the player's Orbiter is named Ordis, and it calls the player 'Operator.' The main goal for the player is to explore the Origin System. Later in the game, the player gains the ability to control the Operator, a true Tenno protagonist in physical form. The Operator can appear in the environment by leaving the Warframe and return to it through a process called 'Transference.' The Operator has their own weapons and abilities. Later, the Operator can use Transference to control a large, mechanical combat unit called a 'Necramech,' which is the older version of Warframes. Players can also use an auxiliary combat platform called 'Archwing,' attached to a Warframe, which has unique abilities. 'Archguns' are heavy weapons for Archwings and Necramechs but can also be used by Warframes. In late 2019, an update added a spacefaring gunship called the 'Railjack,' which is used in combat, unlike the Orbiter. Railjack allows up to four players to work together, each performing different tasks to keep the ship running while fighting enemies and completing goals. A Railjack-focused update was released in 2021, adding more content and a new skill system to help players play alone more easily.
Through the Orbiter's console, the player can choose from available missions. To move through the Solar System, players must complete mission 'nodes' on each planet to reach Junctions, which are used to travel to other planets. Other missions change over time and may include special rewards or challenges that benefit all players if completed. High-difficulty daily and weekly challenges offer rare rewards. On the Orbiter, players can manage their equipment, customize Warframes and weapons, craft new items, and access the in-game marketplace. Missions can be played alone or with up to four players working together against enemies. Missions are usually on maps that are randomly generated. Each mission has different goals, such as defeating enemies, stealing data without being noticed, rescuing prisoners, or defending points on the map. Later updates added three large open areas where players can complete multiple missions in a row and a fourth area called Duviri, where players control the Operator's alternate-timeline version, the Drifter, to complete tasks and defeat an ancient mechanical creature called an Orowyrm.
Players use weapons, abilities, and movement skills to navigate and defeat enemies in missions. If a player loses all health, they become 'downed' and can be revived by an ally or themselves a limited number of times per mission. After completing a mission, players receive in-game items, currency, and rewards collected during the mission. Failing a mission means losing these rewards. The game also includes player-versus-player (PvP) content through the 'Conclave' multiplayer mode, which gives rewards for high rankings.
New Warframes, weapons, and gear are mostly obtained through blueprints, which are used to build items in the Orbiter's Foundry. Blueprints and their items can also be bought with Platinum, the game's premium currency, which can be traded with other players or purchased through microtransactions. Players need specific resources, found in missions and rewards, to build items. Players and their equipment gain experience and level up by completing missions. Higher-level equipment can hold more 'Mods,' which are upgrades shown as cards in the game's interface. Mods can be found in missions, traded between players, or bought from NPCs. Advanced weapon mods called 'Riven Mods' have random stats, often with negative effects. Players can also improve equipment using items like Orokin Catalysts and Reactors, which increase mod capacity, and upgrades like Exilus Adapters, Arcane Enhancements, and Valence Fusion. Arcane Enhancements are items that give conditional bonuses, such as restoring energy after kills or boosting damage after reloading. They are earned through endgame activities and can be improved by combining duplicates up to rank five. Valence Fusion allows players to transfer elemental damage bonuses from one weapon to a duplicate, keeping the stronger value.
Most items stop gaining levels and experience at rank 30, where a tool called 'Forma' can be used to reset the item's rank to zero and customize its mod capacity. Reaching certain milestones, like completing Origin System missions or leveling up weapons, increases the player's 'Mastery Rank,' which shows overall progress. Players can attempt challenges to advance their rank after reaching experience thresholds. Some items require a specific Mastery Rank to be built or purchased, though items bought with Platinum can be used at any rank. Ranks 0-30 have titles like "Gold Tiger" or "Silver Sage," with rank 30 being "True Master." After rank 30, players earn 'Legendary Ranks,' which have no titles. As new items are added, the highest possible legendary rank may change over time. Increasing Mastery Rank also raises the player's maximum capacity for certain currencies and rewards.
Warframe is free to play and avoids 'pay-to-win' features. All Warframes, weapons, and non-cosmetic gear can be obtained through gameplay, though spending in-game currency can speed up the process. New weapons, Warframes, and blueprints, along with cosmetic items like skins and capes ('Syandanas'), can be bought using in-game Credits or Platinum. Some cosmetics can only be purchased with in-game money. Certain upgrades, like extra weapon slots, can only be bought with Platinum but can be unlocked through other methods.
Development
The game Warframe began as an idea from the Canadian studio Digital Extremes, who had previously worked on a game called Dark Sector. Before creating Dark Sector, Digital Extremes worked for other studios to help finish their projects. This included helping Epic Games with the game Unreal Tournament (1999) and its later versions, Unreal Tournament 2003 and Unreal Tournament 2004. Epic Games wanted to join forces with Digital Extremes, but the Canadian government made it difficult to combine the two companies. Because of this, the two studios decided to work separately. This decision led to the end of selling physical copies of the game.
Digital Extremes wanted to become a leading studio, so they created a new idea for a game called Dark Sector. They announced it in February 2000, describing it as a mix of the fast action of Unreal Tournament and the large, evolving world of an online game. Early interviews said the game would involve players as bounty hunters and assassins in a dark science fiction setting. Each character would have a bounty on their head, making them targets for other players.
Digital Extremes tried to find a publisher for Dark Sector, but this only led to more offers to work on other people's projects. The studio kept the idea of Dark Sector quiet for about four years. In 2004, they re-announced a new version of Dark Sector, now described as a stylish, science-fiction single-player game with stealth elements similar to the Metal Gear Solid series. The story was said to mix elements from Metal Gear Solid and The Dark Crystal, set in space within a larger world like Frank Herbert’s Dune. The game’s art style was inspired by the French artist Jean Giraud, also known as Moebius. Players would control a character from a race called the Tenno, who and enemies would wear high-tech suits with special abilities. A demo was shown to highlight the game’s gameplay and graphics. The announcement came around the same time the seventh-generation consoles, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, were being introduced. Digital Extremes sought a publisher to release the game on these platforms. The game received attention, including coverage by CNN about the new consoles.
Digital Extremes’ creative director, Steve Sinclair, spent about a year searching for a publisher after the 2004 re-announcement. Most publishers were not interested in the science fiction setting and suggested changing it to modern-day settings like World War II or the American Civil War. When Sinclair returned to the studio, they tried changing the setting, even testing a superhero genre, but had no success. At the same time, the studio was working on their own game engine, the Evolution engine, to support the game and new consoles, moving away from the Unreal Engine. Eventually, Digital Extremes removed most of the science fiction elements and shifted the gameplay toward a horror style similar to Resident Evil. They kept one part of the original idea: the name "Tenno" for the protagonist. The final version of Dark Sector, released in 2008, was very different from the original plan. It received average reviews and did not bring financial success, leading the studio back to working on other people’s projects for the next four years, including games like BioShock, BioShock 2, Homefront, and The Darkness 2.
By 2011, Digital Extremes struggled to find work-for-hire contracts. Though the studio had to lay off some employees, it still had about 250 people. Looking to create their own game and take advantage of the growing free-to-play model, the studio revisited the 2004 version of Dark Sector. In early 2012, they decided to develop it as a free-to-play game. The team had one to two months to create a prototype, as the studio’s CEO, James Schmalz, and Steve Sinclair planned to present the idea to publishers at the Game Developers Conference in March 2012. They used assets from the abandoned 2004 concept to develop the game, now called Warframe. At the conference, publishers were not interested in the science fiction setting. A large unnamed Korean publisher warned that Western developers might struggle to support free-to-play games with quality content. Another concern was that Warframe focused on player-versus-environment gameplay, unlike other free-to-play games that mostly focused on player-versus-player. Disheartened, the team decided to publish Warframe themselves. They created a playable version of the game, called Lotus, in about nine months. At the same time, they built the server system and microtransaction features they had planned.
In October 2024, shortly after the release of the update Koumei and the Five Fates, the British developer Sumo Digital announced they would help create content updates for Warframe. Sumo Digital had already developed the warframe Koumei, as well as weapons and cosmetics for the game. As of October 2025, Sumo Digital continues to work on major updates for Warframe since the partnership began.
Status
Warframe was officially announced in June 2012, and its closed beta began in October 2012. Players provided feedback that helped improve the game. In early 2013, the developers changed their way of making money to avoid situations where players could pay to win. For example, at first, each Warframe had a skill tree that players could fully unlock by completing missions and earning experience. An expanded version of the tree was available only if players used an in-game item, which could be bought with microtransactions. When players criticized this feature, the developers removed pay-to-win elements and decided to keep the game free to play, ensuring players could get items without spending money. To support the game, they introduced "Founder's Packs," which sold in-game items and currency, an idea used successfully in Kickstarter projects.
Digital Extremes struggled to gain attention from the press in 2012–2013 because free-to-play games were often ignored by journalists. Comparisons to Destiny, a highly anticipated game released in 2014, hurt Warframe’s reputation. Combined with low player numbers, the studio worried about how long they could support the game. However, they found a small but loyal group of players who bought Founder’s Packs, shared the game with friends, and gave feedback that shaped the game’s design. Additionally, popular streamers like TotalBiscuit covering the beta attracted more players.
The open beta for Warframe launched in March 2013 for Windows. At the same time, the studio was finishing the Star Trek game, which was tied to the release of the film Star Trek Into Darkness in April 2013. The Star Trek game received poor reviews, causing financial problems for the studio and leading to layoffs. Warframe itself had average reviews from critics, with IGN calling it "fun, but a little bland" in 2013.
Digital Extremes planned to release Warframe on PlayStation 4, but the console was not available until November 2013. To attract more players, they released the game on Steam, which helped grow the player base. Soon after the Steam launch, the studio secured enough funding to stay operational. The PlayStation 4 version was released in November 2013, and the Xbox One version launched on September 2, 2014. The PlayStation 4 version was later released in Japan on February 22, 2014, followed by the Xbox One version on September 2, 2014.
After the game became profitable, Digital Extremes needed to create new content to keep players interested. Because they kept their 250-person staff, they quickly expanded content and hired an additional 250 developers. Player feedback was essential for updates and improvements. One major change was the "Parkour 2.0" update in 2015, which addressed a problem where players used a trick called "coptering" to move quickly through levels using specific weapons, Warframes, and upgrades. Though developers initially wanted to remove these abilities, they realized players enjoyed the fast, ninja-like movements and redesigned the system to allow such moves while limiting their impact. Another change was removing a feature that let players spend in-game currency to get random colors for customization, as players disliked the high cost of desired colors. Instead, the developers added direct purchase options for customization.
Digital Extremes focused on regularly releasing new content to keep the game profitable. They also faced challenges because understanding Warframe’s systems required time and effort, and some players left after a short time.
In 2014, Digital Extremes was acquired by the Chinese company Leyou, which provided funding but did not control the game’s direction. The developers plan to keep Warframe in a beta state forever.
A Nintendo Switch version was announced in July 2018 and released on November 20, 2018, by Panic Button. The game now supports cross-platform play across multiple devices. In honor of the Switch version, Nintendo added the character Lotus and her form Natah to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a spirit, despite the game having no connection to Nintendo or its creator, Masahiro Sakurai.
As of December 2020, Leyou was bought by Tencent for $1.5 billion, making Tencent the owner of Digital Extremes. Tencent also owns Epic Games, Activision Blizzard, and Ubisoft. Some Warframe players expressed concerns about Tencent’s influence, but Digital Extremes assured fans that the new ownership would not affect the game.
Digital Extremes announced plans to release Warframe on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S when they launched in 2020. A mobile version for iOS was announced on February 15, 2024, and released on February 20, 2024. An Android version was announced in late December 2024, with a closed beta on November 28, 2025, and a global release on February 18, 2026. The iOS version was released in Canada on February 11, 2026, and worldwide on February 18, 2026.
Expansions
Since its release, Digital Extremes has supported Warframe with updates and expanded the game through major changes. These updates have included major changes to gameplay, such as the "Melee 2.0" combat system, which gives players more combat moves. Other additions include new planets and missions, story elements, limited-time and seasonal events, new gameplay modes, and regular additions of new Warframes, weapons, and other equipment.
In December 2015, Digital Extremes released Warframe's first cinematic story mission, "The Second Dream." This mission features important characters from the game and introduces a new group called the Sentients. It also explains that Tenno, the players, are not just Warframes but once were human children. Completing this mission unlocks a new game feature called Focus, which allows players to enter the battlefield as themselves temporarily through a mode called Transcendence. During Transcendence, the Warframe is inactive, and a ghost-like version of the Tenno enters the battlefield to use one of five Focus abilities, depending on choices made during the mission.
In November 2016, Warframe's second cinematic mission, "The War Within," was released. This mission leads players to search for Teshin, a character linked to the Conclave, as he investigates newly awakened Tenno. The mission reveals the Kuva Fortress, a large asteroid controlled by the Grineer, where the Grineer Queens are said to live. These Queens are tied to the old Orokin Empire, and Teshin is revealed to be a Dax Soldier, meaning he was once under Orokin control. The mission introduces a new ability called Transference, which replaces Transcendence, allowing players to move freely without their Warframe. It also introduces a moral alignment system with options of Sun, Neutral, or Moon, though this system has not yet affected gameplay.
In November 2017, an update titled "Plains of Eidolon" added an open-world area to the game. This area, called the Plains, is first accessed through a settlement named Cetus on Earth, where a group called the Ostrons live. The update introduced the first open-world experience in Warframe, allowing players to earn reputation with the Ostrons, complete side activities like fishing and mining, and participate in a Bounty system with missions of increasing difficulty. It also added a new quest, Saya's Vigil, which rewards the blueprint for the Warframe Gara, and new customization options for pets called Kubrows and Kavats. Players can now use a modular weapon called an Amplifier (or Amp) and a blade called a Zaw. The update also introduced new boss fights against large enemies called Eidolons, which require strong gear and teamwork to defeat.
In June 2018, an update titled "The Sacrifice" added the third cinematic story mission. This mission follows the events of previous story quests and sends players on a mission to find a rogue Warframe named Excalibur Umbra. The mission explains Umbra's past and provides information about the origins of Warframes. It also includes the alignment system introduced in "The War Within."
The "Fortuna" expansion was released on PC on November 8, 2018. This update focuses on Fortuna Solaris Debt Internment Colony, a new hub for the game's second open-world map, Orb Vallis. The people of Fortuna, called the Solaris, were enslaved by a Corpus named Nef Anyo, who used ancient Orokin technology to produce coolant for a Venus-based trade center. The update expands on ideas from "Plains of Eidolon" and introduces a hoverboard-like vehicle called a K-Drive. It also adds new modular items, such as a plasma pistol named the Kitgun and a robotic companion called a MOA.
The "Empyrean" update was announced at TennoCon 2018 in July 2018 and released on December 12, 2019. This update allows players to build a customizable spacecraft called a Railjack, inspired by the game FTL: Faster Than Light. Players can add non-playable characters to the ship, customize it, and use it for space-based missions, including battles with enemy forces. The update was released in three phases, with the first phase launched on PC on December 12, 2019.
Warframe's planned nemesis system was released on October 31, 2019, as the second phase of the "Empyrean" update. This system introduces a new enemy called the Kuva Lich, a former Grineer soldier transformed into a powerful warrior through a mystical resource named Kuva. The Kuva Lich controls areas of the Origin System, builds a following of enemies called Thralls, and steals resources from players who complete missions in their territory. The Lich has unique traits, including randomly generated names, weaknesses, and immunities. Players can summon a Kuva Lich by defeating a special enemy called a Kuva Larvling with a new weapon named the Parazon. The Parazon is also used for hacking, defeating Thralls, and in some cutscenes. This update also introduced a new Warframe named Grendel and adjusted two earlier Warframes, Vauban and Ember, to better fit the game's current design. The update completed the release of the "Melee 3.0" combat system.
A major quality-of-life update titled "Warframe Revised" was released on May 20, 2020. This update did not add new content but improved gameplay by adjusting key systems, such as the Kuva Lich system. It made progression faster and allowed players to preview the weapon a Kuva Lich would use, helping players make better choices.
Reception
When Warframe was released, it received "mixed or average reviews" on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, while the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 versions received "generally favorable reviews," according to Metacritic. GameZone's Mike Splechta described the PlayStation 4 version as similar to games like Monster Hunter, which require players to collect items to create better equipment, but noted that Warframe has more exciting and faster combat. However, by 2018, PC Gamer wrote that Warframe's development felt "haphazard," with systems that sometimes seemed confusing but were also "oddly charming."
Warframe is one of the most-played games on Steam. Digital Extremes, the game's creators, credit its success to being a free-to-play game. They describe the game as a "rogue success," meaning it gained and kept a large number of players without widespread public attention. By April 2016, more than 26 million players had played the game. By March 2018, five years after its open beta, the game had reached 38 million players. By the time of its sixth anniversary in 2020, it had nearly 50 million players. In July 2016, Digital Extremes held its first Warframe-themed convention, "TennoCon," in London, Ontario, with 1,000 attendees. The event has been held every year since.
Warframe was nominated for "Best Ongoing Game" at The Game Awards 2017. It won the People's Voice Award for "Action" at the 2018 Webby Awards. It was also nominated for the "Still Playing Award" at the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards and for "Fan Favorite Shooter Game" and "Fan Favorite Fall Release" with Fortuna at the Gamers' Choice Awards. At the 2019 Webby Awards, the game again won the People's Voice Awards for "Action Game" and "Best Sound Design." It was nominated for "Best Game Expansion" with Empyrean and for the "Still Playing" award at the 2019 Golden Joystick Awards. In 2025, Warframe was once again nominated for the "Still Playing" award.