Warframe’s first Open Zone will allow Tenno to explore, fight, journey and fly through the open Landscapes of Planet Earth in their own time, in their own way.
That was the big reveal during Tennocon today, confirming that the upcoming Plains of Eidolon expansion will make some big changes to the game’s core gameplay.
The new Warframe open world expansion includes a new open world landscape, populated with both familiar and never-before seen creatures, enemies, a new Warframe, a day/night cycle, and a new story told through interactive NPC characters in the city of Cetus.
The biggest sell will be that players will be able to see foot in the Plains of the Eidolon with the freedom to explore it on their own terms. This will mean Cetus supporting up to 50 players, with players than venturing out in groups of one to four.
Although no release date was confirmed today, Digital Extremes has confirmed that the new exansion will be released in 2017.
Cetus is a makeshift basecamp for scavengers known as Ostrons who’ve made The Bleeding Tower their home, with a new Warframe and new weapons available to earn
“We have announced big things for Warframe at TennoCon before but nothing like this. Adding Landscapes is a huge leap that we’ve been working on for some time,” said Steve Sinclair, creative director of Warframe.
“Plains of Eidolon is our first step in adding a new kind of player freedom to the game. We wanted to give our players something new, something dramatic, and that meant taking risks and evolving the game in a fresh, new direction.
“For veteran players, we’re always trying to give them a living, evolving game. Landscapes is a great example of how we do that.
“If you bounced off Warframe a while ago, this is a very different feel for the game that warrants a second look. We can’t wait to see how people react to this!”
Key features in Plains of Eidolon include:
Landscapes (Open Zones): “Until now, Warframe missions have taken place in relatively closed environments. With the Plains of the Eidolon expansion, players will set foot in a vast natural landscape free to explore on their own terms.”
Meet the Inhabitants of Cetus: “Never before have Tenno encountered the faceless people whose lives they have saved, until now. Meet the Ostrons, a makeshift group of scavengers whose culture revolves around the grotesque harvesting of biomechanical tissue from long dormant Orokin Towers.”
Different Kind of Mission: “In addition to discovering and exploring, players will engage in an assortment of missions to find and assemble new Warframes and weapons, items and more. Expect to strap on Archwing for air travel and battle, and experiment with customizing and modding a Warframe like never before.”
Discover and Explore: “Plains of the Eidolon offers a sense of discovery, variety, and mystery that mixes several different environments and tones to create a deep sense of place. Experience a bristling new world in where the wind rustles across your Syandana and the age and size of giant Orokin structures ominously looms in the background. Earth will be more alive than ever before.”