Digital Extremes has unveiled Tau, the long-awaited second solar system for its popular sci-fi shooter Warframe, during its annual TennoCon expo. This new region promises a darker, more mature take on the game's universe, heavily influenced by noir aesthetics and real-world themes of addiction and gambling.
The first area within the Tau system, Fornax, is depicted as a grim, vertically stratified ringed city. Its inhabitants are described as biomechanical beings, some of whom are addicted to a substance known as the Bloom. The city's architecture is dense and oppressive, with descriptions evoking a sense of decay and corruption, likened to a city designed by H.R. Giger. Fornax is divided into distinct levels, ranging from the squalid lower tunnels where Bloom addicts reside, to mid-level canyons filled with hovercars, and an opulent, neon-lit casino at the highest tier.
This new expansion introduces Brysko, a "Chimera Warframe" voiced by Matt Mercer. Brysko is a trenchcoated, chain-smoking detective figure, complete with a Raymond Chandler-esque inner monologue. In combat, Brysko utilizes explosive cards and a grappleshot that can target both enemies and environmental elements. An introductory mission features a card game with Fornax's ruler, the crimelord Hunra, hinting at the inclusion of Warframe's first in-game card game, Portau, a mechanic described as similar to poker.
The thematic elements of Fornax and its reliance on the Bloom and gambling are deliberate reflections of real-world issues, as confirmed by developers. This narrative direction suggests a more grounded and mature storytelling approach for the expansion.
Warframe: Tau is slated for release this year. Access to the new system will require players to progress through the existing game's story and content. The expansion will also bring other updates, including new mission types, enemies, and plot developments for established characters, such as Brysko's connection to Albrecht Entrati. During the announcement, a massive, dormant Sentient body was also revealed, a customizable entity that players can fly live into game environments.
In addition to the Tau system reveal, Digital Extremes announced a smaller update, "Iceblade of Narin," scheduled for autumn, which will introduce a new ice-elemental Warframe and rework the existing Banshee. August will see the release of a mini "Fables and Frontiers" role-playing adventure, utilizing the messaging system from the "Warframe: 1999" expansion and featuring a new song from the in-game boyband On-lyne.