Is seven a lucky number? It is for Warframe, which is turning seven years old this month. Actually, I think you could argue that every year has been lucky for the shooter that keeps growing and expanding — in scope, in story, and in players. Let’s not forget devices! There are definitely plenty of reasons to celebrate, and celebrate is exactly what Digital Extremes is doing right now. And you are invited along!
While it isn’t quite time for a full-blown anniversary retrospective, the party has already started. And so that you don’t miss any of the festivities and free goodies, here’s a round up of the revelry throughout the month. There’s also an official anniversary microsite you can visit to check out the events and see a fun timeline of memorable events.
Design the next Warframe
What better way to be be a part of the celebration than becoming a part of the game? Way back in the beginning in 2013, players helped design a Warframe. From that, we got Nova. Over the years many things have been designed by players through the TennoGen program. Now, DE is asking for submissions again to help in the creation of another original ‘Frame. If you’ve had a great idea for one, this is the time to shine and share.
Starting things off is an open call for themes. Let your creativity run wild and share your idea for a theme on the official forums before 1:00 p.m. EDT on March 19th. You can submit only one theme per player, so if you are swimming in ideas, you might need to narrow it down a bit. There are a number of guidelines to follow as well, so be sure to study them before submitting. Ensure your idea is original, but realize if your theme is chosen, the submission — including all art and story — becomes the property of DE. Devs may need to alter the backstory or whatnot to fit into the game.
Once submissions close, there will be a design council vote on the top 10 dev picks; only one will emerge the ultimate winner. Then, between March 27th and April 16th, community artist Eornheit will work on the design. Players have another chance to influence this Warframe creation when a call for ability ideas opens from April 17th through the 30th. A special alt-helmet will also be designed by TennoGen artist Faven. Progress that the community can follow will continue until the ‘Frame in its final design and name are revealed live at TennoCon 2020.
Oh, and just an FYI: If you happen to be the winner of the theme contest, you will be flown to London, Ontario, in Canada to attend TennoCon 2020 and see your creation brought to life in front of the crowds. If you thought attending TennoCon was a rush, can you imagine attending as a creator?
Get free gifts!
Who doesn’t like free gifts? And that’s on top of a free game! With a month-long party, you don’t have to wait to get the goodies. First up, Warframe is giving every player who logs in before 2:00 p.m. on March 30th a set of free Dex Raksaka Armor. There is no restriction on this: All players on all platforms — PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch — all get the set just for logging in. Check your mail once in and find a nice little note from Ordis sharing your shiny new chest guard, shoulder guard, and knee guards.
It won’t matter much when you log in for the free armor (as long as it is before the 30th), but if you want to take part in the return of the anniversary alerts, you’ll need to pay attention to the limited time frames. Each weekend throughout this anniversary month has its own special alert with specific rewards from previous years along with new ones, like an all-new glyph. All alerts run from Friday at 2:00 p.m. to Monday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. (Don’t forget, we switch from EST to EDT this Sunday morning, so don’t let that throw you off!)
| Date | Rewards | |
| Anniversary Alert #1 | March 6th to March 9th | Dex Furis weapon slot Dex Nouchali Syandana |
| Anniversary Alert #2 | March 13th to March 16th | Dex Dakra weapon slot Excalibur Dex skin |
| Anniversary Alert #3 | March 20th to March 23rd | Dex Sybaris weapon slot Excalibur Dex noggle |
| Anniversary Alert #4 | March 27th to March 30th | Excalibur Dex in Action glyph Liset Dex skin |
I may already have the Dex weapons, but that’s no reason to forego the alerts. I personally can’t pass up getting free weapon slots, and I really want that Excalibur Dex noggle! So even if you’ve done past alerts and earned any of the weapons, be sure to hop in and get the other goods. Just remember to get rid of the spare weapons and don’t accidentally equip and start leveling them (unless you really want to, of course!). Not that I would know this…
In addition, this first weekend has double affinity running right now. That may or may not translate to a buff on other weekends as well, but I bet it will.
Special merch
As with TennoCon t-shirts, players may want to collect some special limited real-world swag to commemorate the event. Digital Extremes has obliged. The Warframe store has shirts, pins, posters, and a bundle of each to grace players walls and selves. The poster is this year’s featured item; it’s an original, numbered, Japanese-stylized work of art for your wall. That cool image is the one also printed on the shirt and the pin. I’m really digging the art and would love to see that image on even more items!
Shared memories
A fun jaunt through memories is the 7 Years of Warframe timeline infographic Digital Extremes added to the anniversary microsite. It starts with “Wake up, Tenno,” and touches on the Lotus, fan-favorite Clem, Kubrow monstrosities, Solaris, and more, all the way on up to good old Kuva Liches. Of course, so much can happen in seven years, and this timeline can barely scratch the surface.
What would your favorite memories of the game over the years? Was it a mission, a mob, a moment? We’d love to hear them! And so would Digital Extremes: The studio encourages players to tweet their favorite memories with the hashtag #Warframeis7. And don’t forget to share here as well.
Pick a ‘Frame, any ‘Frame! The Warframe galaxy is in danger, Tenno, and Space Mom needs help to combat it. Are you in the right Warframe of Mind to join in? MJ Guthrie has enlisted; she suits up in her favorite ‘Frames biweekly to fight the good fight, blasting the Grineer and Infected into smithereens.
