KEY POINTS

  • "Soulframe" is neither a sequel nor a successor to "Warframe"
  • The game will feature a slower and heavier combat system 
  • "Soulframe" is still in early development, according to the developers

The team behind the hit MMO game “Warframe” revealed that they are working on a completely new IP that blends their signature style of action with the wonders of Studio Ghibli’s creations.

“Soulframe” is Digital Extremes’ upcoming game that just got its first trailer revealed during TennoCon 2022. Apart from the naming convention and its use of adolescent protagonists, “Soulframe” exists as a separate title from the developers’ acclaimed F2P space ninja game.

The trailer sets the tone for what fans can expect from “Soulframe.” Details are sparse at the moment, but there’s enough to give viewers a general idea of what’s going on. The game ditches “Warframe’s” galaxy-spanning sci-fi setting in favor of one based on traditional fantasy.

Director Steve Sinclair told The Washington Post that “Soulframe” will have a heavier emphasis on melee combat as opposed to “Warframe’s” hybrid style. The new title’s combat system will feel slower and heavier compared to the flows-like-water style of the Tenno and their battle suits, but “Soulframe” will retain a lot of similarities to the developers’ older games.

Soulframe is an upcoming game from the developers of Warframe
Soulframe is an upcoming game from the developers of Warframe Digital Extremes

Additionally, Sinclair said that the game is inspired by Studio Ghibli’s “Princess Mononoke” and “The NeverEnding Story,” except that “[the game’s world is] a little angry about what’s been done to it.”

The trailer implies that an oppressive and tyrannical force is upsetting the natural balance of the game’s world, as shown by the three soldiers chaining down a large animal in the intro sequence. The player character also appears to be aided by animals and spirits of the wild as they bring down nature’s wrath on their foes.

There will still be some magical forces at play here despite the focus on melee, as seen in the protagonist’s ability to petrify enemies.

“Soulframe” is still in its early stages of development, so any specifics regarding the game’s world, combat, and pricing structure remain a mystery. However, Digital Extremes expects a rough build of the game to be available for early testing within the year.

The developers are also due to release two new expansions for “Warframe” – “Veilbreaker” and “The Duviri Paradox” – before 2023 arrives.

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