Warframe
FREE-TO-PLAY THIRD-PERSON SHOOTER + MMO (2013) by DIGITAL EXTREMES, Canada. Players are TENNO — ancient warrior-ninjas piloting biomechanical WARFRAMES across a solar-system-scale sci-fi setting. Fluid parkour + gunplay + melee combined with 45+ playable warframes (each with 4 unique abilities). Rich crafting + modding + trading economy. Continually updated — 500+ million total accounts registered; 40k+ concurrent players on Steam years later. Considered a MODEL LIVE-SERVICE GAME with ethical monetization. Sequel Warframe Soulframe in development.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Team sport
Players
1–4
Duration
~3600 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇨🇦 Canada
Estimated origin
2013 launch on PC; PS4/Xbox One 2013-14; Switch 2018; iOS/Android 2024
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Progress the sprawling sci-fi story + collect + craft + level up warframes, weapons, companions.
Rules
Basic rules
Play as TENNO piloting biomechanical WARFRAMES with unique abilities
Signature character system.
Fluid parkour: wall-run, slide, aim-glide, bullet-jump
Signature movement.
Third-person shooter combat + melee combos
Combat variety.
Craft everything: warframes, weapons, mods take days to build
Crafting economy.
Modding system: 5-500x weapon/frame power via correct mod combinations
Deep customization.
Live-service: massive expansions annually (Plains of Eidolon, Fortuna, Deimos, Zariman, Duviri, 1999)
Continuous evolution.
Scoring
Mastery Rank (0-40) + focus schools + arbitration ratings; competitive Conclave PvP mode.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Mastery Rank increase (levels weapons + frames) | MR 0-40 progression |
| Steel Path (elite difficulty) clears | Endgame content |
| Eidolon hunts (giant boss hunts) | Endgame team content |
| PvP Conclave rankings | Small competitive scene |
Win condition · Live-service — no ending; endless progression + narrative expansions.
Equipment
PC (Windows), PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, Switch, iOS, Android
Multi-platform crossplay + cross-save
Controller or M/KB (both supported)
PC uses M/KB primarily
Free-to-play; optional Prime Access + cosmetics
Ethical monetization
Terminology
- Tenno
- Player's true identity — ancient warrior operating the Warframe.
- Warframe
- The biomechanical armor/suit the Tenno pilots — 45+ unique frames.
- Focus Schools
- 5 endgame progression paths for operator abilities.
- MR (Mastery Rank)
- Player level based on total unlocked/leveled equipment.
- Prime
- Golden variant of a base warframe/weapon — stat upgrades.
- Eidolons
- Massive open-world boss creatures requiring team hunts.
- TennoCon
- Annual Warframe fan convention.
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Digital Extremes (developer)
Founded 1993 · London, Ontario, Canada (Leyou Technologies owned)
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Steve Sinclair (creative director + co-founder DE)
- Rebecca Ford (former community director + writer)
- Reb Sinclair (Rebb, current creative director)
- Warframe TennoCon (annual convention drawing 10k+ fans)
Frequently asked
Is Warframe really free-to-play with no pay-to-win?+
MOSTLY YES — considered one of the BEST-MONETIZED free-to-play games. Everything gameplay-relevant (warframes, weapons, mods) can be earned in-game through play + trading. Platinum (premium currency) buys cosmetics + slot expansions + immediate weapon/frame purchase (which saves time but gives no combat advantage). Player-to-player TRADING allows earning platinum via selling rare mods/items. New players can play free indefinitely; whales support the game via cosmetics + convenience purchases.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Warframe— Wikipedia