Since its release in 2013, Warframe has grown exponentially, expertly treading the line between action-RPG, third-person shooter, MMO, and space opera. Today, the far future game dates back to 1999, as it explores the past to take the first steps towards its bright future.

Warframe: 1999 is the next update to the beloved game, and for longtime players, it should lay out the origins of the story they’ve been playing for the past decade.

The update comes with a Backstreet Boys-style boyband, Y2K-style computer viruses, and quirky, era-appropriate visuals, all of which combine into something outside of the game’s usual approach to gameplay. ‘history.

While none of the above are explicit versions of our own planet, it’s certainly the closest the game comes to establishing its roots and defining exactly where the long-running mysteries of the similarities to our own solar system.

It’s an exciting and revolutionary time for gaming, so Dexerto spoke with Community Director Megan Everett to get the scoop on everything players can expect. Warframe: 1999.

Time travel (for the most part) without limits

Digital extremes

Introducing time travel into any medium, whether gaming, film, or television, is a difficult balancing act. Digital Extremes has flirted with this concept over the years, but no update has embraced it as openly as 1999 should.

As Everett explains, the developer took more narrative risks by giving players complete freedom over their ability to travel through time.

“1999 is a totally optional return trip. You’re going to be able to freely jump between the original system and 1999. We set this up with a quest earlier in the year called Lotus Eaters, explaining exactly how your character, aka the Drifter, is essentially eligible to go to 1999 and have that experience.

“You’re not locked in at all. In the quest itself, you will be locked in the same way as The New War. You can’t really do anything else until you finish this story for obvious reasons.

“You can stay in 1999 as long as you want. You can stay there and never come back. It’s up to you. I’m not going to yuck your yum. You do what you want. There will be a lot to do in 1999, so I wouldn’t be surprised if people stay in 1999 for a while.”

This next step for Warframe presents some navigation questions. Still, the ability to move freely between 1999 and the “modern” Origin system should keep the update from feeling more scaled down and linear. Cohesively blending the two distinct time periods is a different challenge, but there’s plenty of reason to believe it’s one Digital Extremes can get right the first time.

A look at the origins of iconic Warframes

Digital extremes

The ability to go back so far in time also allows the developer to tell the story of the early days of the titular Warframes. 1999 introduces the player to six Protoframes known as The Hex, representing the earliest forms of some of gaming’s most iconic frames.

This roster comes in the form of unique characters who have the physical characteristics of the Warframes available in the Origin system. This includes Arthur (Excalibur), Amir (Volt), Aoi (Mag), Quincy (Cyte-09), Letitia (Trinity), and Eleanor (Nyx).

While there are some pretty obvious reasons why the development team chose these frameworks, Everett confirms that the team’s makeup is as much about complementary skill sets as it is about storytelling.

“It made sense to make the entries, right? So you have Excalibur, you have Mag and you have Volt. Then, in terms of the narrative direction we wanted to take with them, they’re sort of the found family trope. We have Nyx, AKA Eleanor, because she’s Excalibur’s sister sister in the Warframe story.

“Obviously we added a new one, Cyte-09, aka Quincy. It is completely new. We wanted to add a little flavor to it to introduce this character. Next, when we looked at this group of Warframes, who are you missing?

“You’re missing your classic healer who could be part of this team.” Trinity was therefore an obvious choice. We wanted to go with the found family, who come together and whose storylines could be really interesting. There are a lot of things about these Protoframes that players don’t know yet.

“The animated short we’re working on will give a little more detail about this found family and the vibe they have with each other, so it’ll be really exciting for them to see.”

The idea of ​​Protoframes is interesting and a whole new avenue for the story to explore. It would therefore be a shame if this was not exploited more in the future. If Everett’s subsequent response is to be believed, this isn’t something the player base needs to worry about.

“I think it would obviously be a missed opportunity if we didn’t make more Protoframes. There won’t be any more in 1999. We have six, and that’s The Hex. We will and want to make more Protoframes. I can’t say we’ll commit to making them all, but it’s definitely on our minds and plans to create more Protoframes.

“Again, there will be a strategy behind it in terms of which ones we would do and which ones fit narratively into the story we’re trying to build with this. Everything is strategic for the next ones, but they are preparing. They are in the brain.

1999 will not be released in isolation

Digital extremes

One of the most immediate and obvious concerns about a release as radical as Warframe: 1999 is that it might exist as an outlier, rather than a properly integrated part of the universe.

Being able to ping back and forward freely goes some way to alleviating this pressing issue, but where does that leave Warframe’s narrative moving forward?

Fortunately, while the Origin system will remain at the center of the game, the implications of 1999 will be felt for years to come, as Everett details.

“We’ve definitely been looking forward to the next few years, real years in terms of game development, and different stories that we haven’t developed yet. A lot of them are obviously in the Origin system because we’ve been in the Origin system for 11 years, and players can probably guess the stories that we haven’t developed yet.

“We’re not going to do a 1999 or Echoes of 1999 and then just abandon it and leave it aside. I think there will always be one part that applies to everything we do in the future. We also want to keep the Origin System side of the story and continue stories there that we haven’t covered yet.

“That doesn’t mean the game will only take place in 1999 and not much else will happen. This is going to be a back and forth. Dr. Entrati, Albrecht Entrati, began his story in the Origin system, so there is more to see about his influence there. Plus, The Man in the Wall is literally everywhere.

Warframe’s story is so deep after 11 years of development that many potential future narratives are possible. The idea of ​​1999 being one of them is probably a good idea, allowing everyone to experience the game however they want.

Whatever happens with the full release, 1999 is arguably the bravest update in gaming history. With over 50 million registered players, it’s not a hit or miss for Digital Extremes , but if it’s well received, it could change the landscape of Warframe forever.

Taking that risk and moving forward by deviating from that original formula is arguably the attitude that has propelled the game to where it is today. So for a long-time gamer, it’s nice to see that the continued desire to innovate remains so prevalent.

Warframe: 1999 is set to release in December as a free update for Warframe players.