Warring Like It’s 1999
Digital Extremes celebrated Warframe’s 10 year anniversary this past weekend. At TennoCon 2023, Digital Extremes revealed two expansions coming to their free-to-play futuristic, third-person action multiplayer game. One of those expansions, Warframe: 1999, is generating buzz for several reasons, one of which is the setting of the alternate 1999.
Digital Extremes also developed the 2008 game Dark Sector, which is largely considered a precursor to Warframe. Fans recognize the nods and similarities between the two, which are pretty hard to ignore in this gameplay demo.
As the title suggests, Warframe: 1999 takes place at the turn of the current century. However, it is an alternate history of 1999. It still has the hallmarks of the 90s, like CRT TVs, Nine Inch Nails, and bad boy center-part haircuts.
Albrecht Entrati would like a word with you, Tenno.
See the full #TennoCon 2023 Demo for #Warframe’s next two major updates, Whispers in the Walls and Warframe: 1999 👉 https://t.co/IOish01mZ5 pic.twitter.com/cjMztclwJa
— WARFRAME (@PlayWarframe) August 27, 2023
The gameplay follows a man named Arthur, who wears a basic Excalibur Warframe, which is pretty on the nose. He fights through a deserted subway station on New Year’s Eve 1999. The enemies appear to be infected with a primitive version of the Technocyte virus, growing CRT TVs all over their body.
For those of you wanting there to be a more concrete connection between Warframe and Dark Sector, you might just get that. Digital Extremes has not come out and said it, but this is a perfect opportunity to include it in the lore or at least draw from it more. Warframe: 1999 appears to be setting up the origins of current world of Warframe.
Warframe is free-to-play on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The 1999 expansion is expected to come out in 2024.
Which of the Warframe expansions are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments.