TennoCon 2026: Everything Announced at the Warframe and Soulframe Fan Event

TennoCon 2026: Everything Announced at the Warframe and Soulframe Fan Event

Digital Extremes has concluded TennoCon 2026, unveiling a massive roadmap for its two online action RPGs, Warframe and Soulframe. The event focused on expansive new territories and the introduction of antagonists that will drive the narratives of both live-service titles.

Warframe: The Journey to Tau

The center-piece of the event was the long-anticipated Tau expansion, scheduled for release this winter. According to developers, this represents the biggest shift in the history of the game. The expansion introduces a full second solar system for players to explore, housing Orokin-terraformed colonies and the mysterious Sentinels.

The primary hub of this new system is Forax, a gloomy, cyberpunk-style city. While not a traditional open-world zone like Fortuna or the Planes of Eidolon, it blends open exploration with procedurally generated zones. Some players may be able to navigate the ringed motorways of Fornax in a Sentient flying car.

"Tau is certainly the biggest shift for Warframe ever, we're adding a full second solar system to explore and have new stories coming,"

Rebecca Ford, Warframe creative director, via IGN

Ford explained that the decision to add a second solar system was based on the question of how to keep the game going forever. Now, 13 years after launch, the developers intend to rebuild the experience "planet by planet, moon by moon, and object by object."

The Tau update introduces Brysko, a sentient Chimera Warframe voiced by Matt Mercer. Brysko functions as a gunslinger in fast-paced combat sequences. The update also includes a playable section for the Lotus. Lore reveals from the demo indicate that Margulis/Lotus struck a deal with the Man in the Wall to hide the Tenno in the Lua reservoir, while the Drifter intervenes to protect Lotus, striking a reverse-deal to enable the path to Tau.

Warframe 2026 Roadmap and New Features

Before the Tau launch, several updates are scheduled for the remainder of the year:

• August 2026: The "Time Tempests" Nightwave season ends, making way for a fourth-wall-breaking DnD-themed season. The Dog Days event also returns, featuring Ephemeras and the Furax Wraith set.
• Fall 2026: An update titled Iceblade of Narin will introduce a new story quest, a new location, and a new playable Warframe. Further details are expected during a Devstream on September 4.
• Additional Content: Players will acquire a customizable Orokin Vessel. New deluxe versions of Banshee and Qorvex, a gameplay rework, and new Nightwave missions via the Amir’s Shockwave update are also arriving.
• New Character: Citrine Prime was announced, bringing a "prismatic sheen" to the game in a future update.
• Mini-Game: The game's first card game, Portau, will launch. Based on poker, it uses suites of Blooms, Cores, Moons, and Suns.

Additionally, a new Heirloom Collection honoring the gunslinger Warframe, Mesa, was released during the event.

Soulframe: Embracing the Dark Side

Still in its alpha phase, Soulframe revealed a shift toward darker themes. The upcoming Warsongs fable, set for release in fall 2026, focuses on the player character's origin and the conflict between their mother and Tempest Bayor. Actors Ben Starr and Jennifer English have joined the cast as Tempest Bayor and the Empress of Eldveil, respectively.

A major mechanical addition is the Vadagar pact, which allows Envoys to embrace corruption and adopt "dark side" powers known as vespers. Digital Extremes CEO Steve Sinclair described this as the "edgelord aspect" or "anti-envoy" of the game, citing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic as an influence. The demo showcased the Coiled Dawn, a snake sword capable of large sweeping strikes.

Other Soulframe updates include:

• Mounts: Players can now obtain a wolf pup from the Orengall quest, "The She-Wolf Snared," which can eventually be raised into a full-sized ride.
• Vegan Fishing: A catch-and-release mini-game where players capture fish across the Alca to gather wildlife intel.
• Combat: A new encounter against the Mendicant Reinbreaker, a corrupted dark knight who may become an ally if defeated.

Access to the PC-only alpha, Soulframe Preludes, was open for immediate sign-up on the official website until 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, July 12. Following this deadline, access returns to an invite-only system or via Founder's Pack codes.

Senior community manager Asselin emphasized that the game is being built alongside the community through "Envoy hours" and development streams, noting that the team is still very early in development compared to the timeline of Warframe.