Warframe 1999: Why It Is The Perfect Expansion

Here are 4 reasons why the next major update works to get more players interested in Warframe. Are you playing Warframe 1999? Let's talk about it.

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So I've just been catching up on Warframe trying to get to the Legendary Mastery Rank for the first time and I just played this section of the Whispers In The Walls quest. This sets up the upcoming Warframe 1999 expansion that's releasing in Winter 2024. By now we've seen trailers and coverage but I just wanted to say this went pretty hard. But why is the next Warframe update a time travel piece set in 1999? Well, it actually makes perfect sense for four key reasons. Before we break it down I just want to say thank you for spending a little bit of your day with me. If you like the video, a like and sub would genuinely help this small channel.

Digital Extremes don't play it safe. They've always been willing to take creative risks with unique mechanics and bizarre storylines. Just look at the recent Duviri Paradox which had open-world exploration roguelike elements and a heavy narrative. It's DE's rebellious nature of doing what they want and sticking to their vision that's made Warframe thrive over the years. Love it or hate it, you got to applaud them for taking these big swings. And from the looks of it, they're nailing it with Warframe 1999.

Now I'm going to take an educated guess here; most Warframe players are probably Millennials. Sure you've got your Gen X and Gen Z Tennos out there somewhere but I bet Millennials make up a large chunk of the player base. 1999 can leverage this trend of '90s nostalgia by leaning hard into this '90s over-the-top vibe of "excess" and "extreme" as well as the Y2K fear and overall aesthetics of the era. In terms of music, it offers a great space to play in from Pop to Industrial music. They are introducing another new original song as well as incorporating licensed tracks like "Into the Void" by Nine Inch Nails. Plus, at this point, Millennials are probably the biggest spenders. Most of them have disposable income and some still may have time to grind. For those who don't know, Warframe was born from the original pitch for the game Dark Sector. Excalibur? Yeah he was basically Dark Sector's original player character, so it's an inspired choice to have the human version of Excalibur feature in 1999 and of course, his name is Arthur. Doing this is a nod to their roots. Kind of like DE revisiting that dark gritty European vibe from the Dark Sector game, and all this is showing everyone they still own their creative legacy. It feels like they're confidently reclaiming their past and just having fun with it.

Let's be honest, Warframe lore is wild. It's confusing. It's deep. And with every new expansion, it gets even more complicated. New players get hit with walls of lore, new characters, and new Warframes every year, just providing more hurdles for new players to get on board. So as a free-to-play game it's important that once a year Warframe puts out an expansion that serves as a push for new player acquisition. That's what I think 1999 is doing perfectly. Characterizing Warframes as humans like Arthur and setting up a hero team like The Avengers or The Justice League makes the Warframe universe a lot more accessible. The frames serve as familiar archetypes for new players to get into. You've got the fearless leader, the brains of the group, the speedster and so on and so forth. Plus, setting it in the past during a pivotal moment in Warframe and Entrati lore ensures that all players new and old experience an important part of Warframe history together.

Look, I could go on but I'm saving most of my thoughts for when Warframe 1999 actually drops. There's a lot to discuss; the story, the grind, the setting, but overall 1999 is looking great and fingers crossed that Digital Extremes sticks the landing on this one. Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you in the next one.