At TennoCon 2024 this weekend, developer Digital Extremes shared all-new details for Warframe: 1999, the upcoming expansion for its free-to-play action RPG. The new expansion picks up where last year's Whispers of the Wall update left off — with the search for Albrecht Entrati.
Warframe: 1999 invites players to travel back to Earth in 1999 where they'll discover a grungy, alternate world littered with secrets, all while tracking down Dr. Entrati before the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. Joining you on this hunt are a group of Protoframes known as "The Hex" who have their own scores to settle.
"Warframe: 1999 is both a continuation of the Origin System's epic cinematic narrative and the start of an entirely new way to play," the developer explained in its recap. "Featuring characters, enemies, weapons and vehicles that are both thrilling and strangely familiar, this is Warframe like you've never experienced it before."
The 22-minute gameplay demo highlights some of the brand-new features and exciting additions coming in 1999. One of the notable new features is the new romance system. Using the power of Kinematic Instant Messaging — which, for those who remember it, is clearly inspired by AOL Instant Messenger — you'll be able to get to know each character on a deeper level and form a romance with them.
"If you play your cards right, one of those six, including Arthur, could be your New Year's kiss," Digital Extremes said to a roaring crowd.
Digital Extremes also revealed some of the talent who will voice these new characters in the expansion. The cast includes:
- Amelia Tyler (Baldur’s Gate 3) as Eleanor (Nyx)
- Kevin Afghani (Super Mario Bros. Wonder) as Amir (Volt)
- Melissa Medina (Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail) as Lettie (Trinity)
- Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge (Forza Horizon 5) as Quincy (Cyte-09)
- Alpha Takahashi (Cyberpunk 2077) as Aoi (Mag)
- Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI) as Arthur (Excalibur)
Cyte-09 was actually a newly revealed Warframe. "Previously a reckless and friendless fortune hunter, he now lends his skills to Arthur’s team as the best marksman around," his bio reads. "Meanwhile, in the modern Origin System, bring this new playable Warframe’s passé sharpshooter skills from 1999 into the present (wearing a stylish beret)."
Of course, no 90s recreation would be complete without the inclusion of a boy band. In Warframe, there is On-lyne. Except in 1999, the Infestation has produced twisted forms of the superstar hearthrobs, creating the Technocyte Coda.
Other things you'll see in the gameplay trailer include the usage of Atomicycles, motorcycle-like vehicles you can use to navigate the busy streets and alleys of Höllvania, as well as the game's other open zones like the Plains of Eidolon or Cambion Drift. There's also the new faction, The Scaldra. All of this and more is coming in Warframe: 1999. Check out the gameplay video below!
Warframe: 1999 is coming in Winter 2024. For those who can't wait that long, the new 1999 Prologue Quest, "The Lotus Eaters," will debut on all platforms this August.
Reunite with one of Warframe’s most iconic characters in The Lotus Eaters, a Prologue Quest that picks up after the events of Whispers in the Walls, setting the stage for the stakes of Warframe: 1999. The Update will ship alongside the Sevagoth Prime, an enhanced form of the dark helmsman in signature gold trim and complete with exclusive weapons and accessories.
Are you excited about Warframe: 1999?