With Warframe 1999 finally releasing a demo for its much-awaited expansion coming later in Winter 2024, it’s time to clear up the air. Warframe 1999 isn’t a new game or a sequel to Warframe even if the developers could summarize it like that. It’s also more limited in accessibility than you think, but the history behind it makes it quite possibly the most impactful content update for Warframe.
Back in 2008, Digital Extremes, Warframes‘ developer had a humbler beginning and followed up their mainstream game development journey with a game called Dark Sector. It was, for brevity’s sake, Warframe‘s progenitor, complete with character designs that would go on to inspire Warframe‘s early stages. Despite this, Warframe maintained a separate in-game and lore universe to Dark Sector.
Sadly, Dark Sector was a polarizing experience, partly because Digital Extremes had to change focus to appease the publishers and follow the current trends. Moreover, they didn’t have the technology at the time to pursue their original and intended vision and had to change Dark Sector’s setting from space sci-fi to modern sci-fi.
Then, Digital Extremes’ Success With Warframe Happened
Fast forward to 2024, Warframe is now enjoying financial, critical, and public success as one of the best examples of live-service and free-to-play games. It goes without saying that Warframe 1999, with its return to the modern sci-fi setting, makes it more similar to Dark Sector than Warframe.
In essence, it’s Digital Extremes exploring a bolder and more realized version of Dark Sector, making Warframe 1999 a spiritual successor of the former. The more human character designs practically reinforced its status as an unofficial Dark Sector sequel since the main hero of that game also has a human head — a far cry from Warframe‘s alien and robotic design.
It remains to be seen what kind of lore connections Warframe 1999 will have with Dark Sector, but there will undoubtedly be Easter Eggs, homages, and obvious similarities.
Not All Warframe Players Will be Able to Access Warframe 1999
With Warframe going back to its roots in its Warframe 1999 expansion, you would think that Digital Extremes would make it more accessible to the general audience. But sadly, Warframe 1999 is a piece of late-game content. It’s more or less reserved for those who stuck around long enough to see the meat of the game.
In fact, there’s quite a long process before new and fresh players will be able to get their hands on Warframe 1999. Newbies can, however, play a demo of Warframe 1999 as soon as they finish the first main quest in Warframe, giving themselves something to look forward to later on in the game.
