While Bungie's Destiny 2 has reached the end of its development cycle, its rival looter shooter Warframe, developed by Digital Extremes, has seen "a few years of straight, just massive growth." This resurgence has put Warframe in a strong position, allowing its developer to dedicate resources to its upcoming title, Soulframe, without sacrificing the ongoing support for its established game. Sheldon Carter, president of Digital Extremes, shared these insights in a recent interview, highlighting the studio's strategic shifts and the unexpected trajectory of Warframe's popularity.
Carter acknowledged that the launch of the original Destiny in 2014, shortly after Warframe's 2013 release, was a significant moment that initially prompted Digital Extremes to consider aggressive competition. However, the studio's perspective evolved over time. The end of Destiny 2's development, Carter noted, was met with a somber mood at Digital Extremes due to the many connections and shared experiences within the industry. "Developers from their team come on to your team. New people who you started, they learned what looter shooters are and how that works because they put thousands of hours into Destiny," Carter explained.
Conversely, Warframe has been on an upward trend. Approximately four to five years ago, Digital Extremes began to express concerns that Warframe might have reached its peak. This prompted the studio to shift its development and promotional strategies for Warframe and initiate work on Soulframe. These changes have since resulted in years of substantial growth for Warframe. "Now we're in this happy position where Warframe's really thriving, and that gives us the ability to give Soulframe a ton of rope [and] time to really try stuff out and connect," Carter stated.
This approach contrasts with Bungie's previous focus on multiple, ultimately unrealized, incubation projects. Digital Extremes appears to be concentrating its efforts on Soulframe as a singular, deliberate endeavor. Carter reflected on the learning process involved in developing a second large-scale game, noting that expertise does not entirely prevent mistakes but can expedite recovery. The development of Soulframe involves relearning lessons from Warframe's past while focusing on building trust and communication with the audience, aiming for a robust release with sufficient content.
Digital Extremes sees a long future for Warframe, with Carter expressing hope that its accessibility across a wide range of hardware will maintain its relevance. He pointed out that the game can be played on high-end consoles like the PS5 Pro, as well as on older mobile devices. "And so for me, I hope that if console demands aren't able to be kept up with, or people need to look at older hardware because the new stuff is so expensive, they're still going to have Warframe to play, because it's a forever game that's always being updated."