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Warframe continues to pull a crowd, as was evident at this year's somewhat dystopian Tennocon expo, in which there was a whole auditorium set aside to house the queue for a bunch of T-shirt stands. That popularity gives Soulframe leeway to experiment and screw up, but it also creates temptation for developers Digital Extremes (who are owned by Tencent) to stick with what they know. Still, Warframe won't be a hit forever. As such, Soulframe's creators are trying to walk the line between lifting ideas from Warframe, and luring a new following with combat mechanics that take inspiration from Elden Ring.

According to Soulframe design director and former Warframe design director Scott McGregor, one thematic departure is that Soulframe's universe is relatively hopeful, however troubled. It takes place on a rustic medieval planet that is being colonised by a bunch of evil spacefaring moblins called the Ode, who are governed by a hypnotic Spellsong. As an Envoy empowered by a pact with ancient Fey spirits, you must stomp the Ode's raucous tinhat enforcers and free the moist-eyed critters they've imprisoned or corrupted. All of which reflects a conviction that the real world is going to hell.

"The world's becoming so bleak, and so hard to deal with, and everything seems to be getting so depressing," says McGregor. "And so when we were starting to work on Soulframe, it was looking for something that was maybe a little bit more inspirational, had a little bit more redemption to it than just, you know, more dark and evil.

"Those things exist in the game because you need to show the contrast and the evolution from that point, but for us as a team, it's looking for a happier place and a happier world," he continues. "And I think everyone feels that way right now. Like, the world doesn't feel like it's in a good spot, with the environment, with the political climate and all that sort of thing, so I think looking for an inspirational story or redemption arc is a big part of Soulframe."

Within that fuzzy objective of kindling optimism, the developers are also trying to peel themselves away from the sheer overkill of Warframe's combat. Soulframe has a bunch of projectile weaponry and ranged magic, but it hinges on methodical melee duels. It also doesn't have Warframe's absurd parkour system, which sees the most experienced players blinking through layouts in search of the choicest crafting materials.

"I would say we're still trying to sell that power fantasy to the player, but at a different pace and a different scale," McGregor continues. "Maybe you're a little bit more cosy, a little less bombastic. A lot of our review meetings, the stuff we talk about - we are trying to be very conscious about how explosive the screen is, and you know, how many times certain effects are applied to all of the enemies, or the number that you're engaging with at a single time, in a single fight. Making sure that it doesn't feel overwhelming for a single player, or a player who wants to play a little bit slower."

"I think what's interesting about working on this game from the design perspective is there's a higher skill barrier," he goes on. "Because it is a melee combat game, and there are some more timing-based aspects. You can get good at the game, even at a low level with bad gear and bad weapons. You could actually play at a pretty high level, if you have the mechanical skill… without necessarily having the gear."

McGregor draws a parallel with From Software's work. "You watch some of those Elden Ring players, where they go in there with a diaper on and the worst sword in the game, and they take on the best boss and you're, like, wow," he says. "Having it so that skill levels still matter, I think, is important as well. Warframe has a bit of that, but there's so much AOE room clearing - I'm gonna kill, like, 300 AIs with one button press."

Going by what I've played myself, I'm wary of Elden Ring parallels. Soulframe's melee combat isn't nearly as intricate or testing. Its open world is a sleepy golden expanse of forest glades and Ode camps in which you don't have to think too hard about terrain tactics, though there are some pleasantly enveloping dungeons beneath. Still, it's definitely more stately and precise than its older sister. It's a game of evasive rolls and parries in which you pay less attention to your stats. "It's definitely something that we're consciously always trying to manage," McGregor says, "and make sure that we don't go down that slope into Warframe land, because we definitely do want that contrast."

Like Warframe, Soulframe will live in 'eternal beta'. At the time of writing, the game has entered its 15th "prelude", these being the developer's Wordsworthian equivalents for early access updates. (Soulframe's writing in general is bardish to the point that I sometimes want to throw rotten eggs and tomatoes at it, like a drunken theatre goer in the 1500s). Digital Extremes are slowly adding stories, gear and areas while monitoring player feedback. After 13 years of Warfromage, the devs have learned a thing or two about keeping players glued to a work-in-progress, but they aren't, apparently, just reapplying the same lessons.

"I would say that there are some similarities, but the majority of the path that we're taking is actually quite different from the path we took with Warframe," says Sheldon Carter, studio president. "At least right now, that's what it feels like. One of the cool things, or also sometimes the chaotic things about live service is you're kind of driving the train while you're laying the tracks down." One rule of thumb is not to reveal things too early. Carter gives the example of Warframe's Duviri Paradox update, which was announced in 2019 and belatedly released in 2023. "We had to keep delaying it, because we didn't leave slack for getting punched in the face," Carter summarises, "and we got punched in the face on a few things between."

The major difference with Soulframe is that where early updates for Warframe were more about keeping the lights on, the new game has always been a live service project with a plan for years of significant changes. "I'll say the ambition is bigger on Soulframe from update to update, early in the game than we were on Warframe," McGregor recalls. "Warframe was a lot of really small, quick updates to add more life to the game, to add more content to the game. Soulframe updates so far have been bigger swings. We definitely feel like we've got to get back to those quicker ones, but there's an overall idea of what the story is, what the progression is going to be."

Soulframe's next serious update will add mounts to the game, together with a new pact that allows you to channel the Ode's grotty magic, and a quest about your Envoy's origins that features playable beavers. The most recent update, the aforesaid prelude 15, was more of an overhaul, introducing randomised weapon drops to address complaints about how long it takes to craft them. "Players can now get those weapons easier and try them out, but then, we also added the ability to sort of deeply invest into those weapons," says McGregor. "So, if you do find something you really like, then we added a crafting loop to go deeper with it."

Going by a quick read of the game's forums, players have mixed feelings about this latter update, with some protesting that their existing arsenals are now obsolete. As a business, Digital Extremes surely need to get this right, because Soulframe makes its money via the familiar option to purchase things you can otherwise grind for. As such, players need to feel that their time is well spent, but not so much that they can't be beguiled into coughing up for the occasional progression shortcut. In general, I'd love to get hold of some proper statistical analysis of how Soulframe's monetisation has been shaped by McGregor's desire to give players more opportunity to prevail, even when they're armed with rubbish gear.

Digital Extremes haven't released any real statistical info on Soulframe's players, but according to Sheldon Carter, the team's efforts to differentiate their creation from Warframe are bearing fruit. "There's definitely a huge segment of Soulframe that is a completely different type of player than those who play Warframe," he says. As for those who've come over from Warframe, Carter is fairly confident that they'll put up with a few blunders, as the game takes shape. "We don't take it for granted, but we've definitely earned [some trust] with our community, especially on Warframe - if we were to have a huge miss on something, they're going to be okay with us trying again."

This article is based on a trip to Tennocon 2026, for which the event's organisers covered travel and accommodation.