Gaming

Warframe The New War: Release date, Caliban, playable characters & everything we know

Lloyd Coombes
Digital Extremes

The next big Warframe update, The New War, will add a huge new set of story content to the long-running free-to-play title. Here’s everything we know so far.

Warframe has been around since 2013, and following huge updates has grown into one of the finest free-to-play titles around. What began as a game about slashing and shooting your space ninja’s way through enemies and building new suits with fresh abilities now has huge open-world areas, space combat, and even fishing.

The good news for fans is that Warframe’s universe is about to get even bigger. The New War, the next chapter in the franchise’s story, will add a whole host of new narrative to the game, while also including new playable characters and, of course, a new Warframe to earn.

Here’s everything we know about Warframe: The New War.

Contents:

Warframe The New War cinematic showing the LotusDigital Extremes
The Lotus’ story will be a key part of The New War.

Release date and platforms

The New War content for Warframe arrives on December 15 as a free update.

You’ll be able to play the new content on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch.

Cross save and cross-play in Warframe won’t be arriving with the update, with both of those slated for 2022.

Trailer

Check out the latest trailer for The New War below:

Story

Warframe’s story has been full of mystery and danger for years, but The New War could be the biggest shakeup to its universe in years.

Players will fight new Sentient enemies, created by the Orokin Empire, and team up with a series of unlikely allies (more on those in a moment). Think of it as Warframe’s Avengers: Infinity War moment and you’re on the right track – just with space ninjas instead of superheroes in spandex.

The Lotus, who has been guiding our Tenno for years, before aligning herself with the Orokin. That’s a pretty wild twist, and the Lotus, Erra, and Ballas will all see their narrative arcs pay off throughout the game’s longest Cinematic Quest yet.

Playable Characters

Warframe The New War screenshot showing TeshinDigital Extremes
Teshin is a ferocious warrior, and he’ll be playable in The New War.

Thankfully, our Tenno won’t be fighting alone. They’ll be teaming up with a Grineer, Kahl-175, and Veso, a Corpus Tech. Perhaps most exciting, though, is the addition of Teshin – a lethal warrior with his own abilities.

Caliban Warframe

Caliban Warframe key artDigital Extremes
Caliban is part Sentient, part Warframe

As you’d imagine from a new Warframe expansion, there’s a new Warframe to earn. This one’s a little different, though, with Caliban part Warframe and part Sentient.

The game’s 48th Warframe, Caliban’s passive ability “Adaptive Armor” means he can resist certain damage types as they hit him. Here are his full abilities, courtesy of Digital Extremes:

  • Razor Gire: Become a spinning vortex of death. Hold Fire to accelerate the maelstrom, increasing damage, then target an enemy to dash toward them. Hitting enemies inflicted with Sentient Wrath creates a destructive blast.
  • Sentient Wraith: Smash the ground sending out a wave of destruction. Those not killed by the initial blast are helplessly lifted into the air where they continue to suffer damage for a short time.
  • Lethal Progeny: Call on Caliban’s Sentient aspect to produce up to three Conculyst comrades to fight by his side, and repair shields when not in combat.
  • Fusion Strike: Converge three streams of raw energy upon a single point, causing a massive reactive blast. The fallout from the blast will strip the armor from all enemies that touch it.

Prime Access – Harrow Prime

Warframe Key Art showing Harrow PrimeDigital Extremes
Harrow Prime arrives alongside The New War expansion.

The next Prime Warframe to arrive will be Harrow Prime. Armed with a speargun and a signature pistol, it’ll be available for a limited-time only from December 16.

For the uninitiated, Prime Warframes are more powerful variants of base Warframes, with additional mod slots.

Ahead of Warframe’s New War update, players can take part in the Prime Resurgence event that’s ongoing right now to level up their arsenal.

How to start The New War and Quest Prerequisites

In order to begin The New War questline, you’ll have to complete the following mission chains first:

  • Vor’s Prize
  • Once Awake
  • The Archwing
  • Stolen Dreams
  • The New Strange
  • Natah
  • The Second Dream
  • The War Within
  • Chains of Harrow
  • Apostasy Prologue
  • The Sacrifice
  • Chimera Prologue
  • Rising Tide
  • “Prelude to War” – Erra, The Maker

You’ll also need to have built an Archwing, a Railjack, and a Neramech, while unlocking your Operator, too.

There’s everything we know about Warframe: The New War so far. For more on the game, be sure to check out our other guides at Dexerto.

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