After the incredible success ofWarframeover the last 12 years of the free-to-play space ninja simulator’s time online, Digital Extremes is following up with what could be described as a ‘spiritual opposite.‘Soulframemay share half its name withWarframe, but the studio has shaped it into an entirely distinct experience that contrasts withWarframein nearly every way. From its fantasy setting to its more ponderous open world and methodical combat pacing,Soulframeappeals to a different audience—but that doesn’t meanWarframefans won’t also get a kick out of it.
Game Rant sat down withSoulframeCommunity Director Megan Everett and Sarah Asselin to discussSoulframe’s past, present, and future, along with how Digital Extremes’ follow-up sets itself apart from its sci-fi predecessor. They also spoke about the importance offeedback from Preludes testers, the conversations duringSoulframe’s formative days, and plenty more.This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Getting Soulframe Right
Game Rant:What do you feel is the most important thing tonail aboutSoulframe? Something where, if it wasn’t right, it just wouldn’t beSoulframe?
Asselin: I suppose the first thing that comes to mind is that we’ve had a massive amount of interest in our game from theWarframecommunity right from the get-go, which we really look at as a privilege. One of the reasons we haven’t publicly released it yet is because there are still a lot of major systems—which, I don’t know if you were in the press preview yesterday—we did touch on there, as well as the new player experience. These are all things we really want to get right.
I’d say we’re trying to find a sweet spot between exploration and allowing players to discover things on their own, while also ensuring they’re not missing some of these major systems—that they find Tuvalkane and are able to craft weapons. So there’s this balance we’re aiming for, to verify things feel good from the jump. And we’re still getting there. So that’s one of the first things that comes to mind.
Everett: I think—if I can speak from 12 years of Warframe—it’s really that we’ve had a lot of learning experiences when it comes to building a community. And as daunting as it is to feel like, withSoulframe, we’re starting that over… it’s really kind of the opposite.
We’re definitely opening the doors to a whole different category of players.Soulframedoes adopt a lot ofWarframevibes, andWarframeplayers will absolutely play it, for sure. But there’s also this school of players who maybe weren’t interested inWarframethatwillbe interested inSoulframe. And I think those learning experiences—all the ups and downs we’ve had over 12 years—for me, it’s about making sure we don’t have the same hiccups we’ve had inWarframe’spast. You know, just mistakes we’ve made along the way.
We’re going to make mistakes regardless—evenWarframestill does every now and then, and we’re honest about it. But I think if we tackleSoulframewith as much transparency and grace as we have withWarframe, we’ll be able to maintain that trajectory and haveSoulframe’secosystem really stand on its own—without needing to lean too much on theWarframe
side of things.
Game Rant:Do you feel thatSoulframe’s fantasy settingallows you to do things that weren’t possible inWarframe?
Asselin: There is some similarity in the way we tell stories in both games. And this is going to sound cheesy, but as someone who has played a lot ofWarframeand a lot ofSoulframe, there feels like a similar spirit in that way—narratively—in telling these human, although nothuman, but human-feelingstories.
That being said, there’s a very different pace and tempo inSoulframe. It has a lot more exploration, a grounded, slower feeling. So I do think it scratches two different parts of my brain—both games do—which I imagine will be the same for many people. There will probably be an intersection of players who enjoy both types of game.
And like we were saying earlier, individually, there’s obviously a lot of room for the fantasy and these really cool stories of redemption that we’re going to showcase at TennoCon with the story of Brominius. That’s definitely something that’s ringing true in a lot of the things we’re adding to the world and to the game.
Game Rant:What’s the team’s approach to thegame’s overall difficulty level? How challenging do you wantSoulframeto be?
Asselin: We’re definitely trying to cater to different playstyles. What we showed in the demo is a new magic-type weapon. Wellin is the one we were showing.
There was definitely some debate about that loadout, because this type of weapon really speaks to a more casual gamer. It’s very accessible to someone who just wants to run through the world and cast magic spells at enemies.
At the same time, you also saw a bit of a tease with the new martial arts manual—those skills and techniques. There’s going to be room there for people who are more hardcore gamers and are looking for that kind of depth.
But we definitely want to appeal to someone who’s interested in this fantasy world, even if they’re coming into it in a more casual way.
Game Rant:Soulframeobviously carries someDNA fromWarframe—including one syllable. Can you talk about some things you wanted to carry over fromWarframe, and maybe some things you wanted to keep distinct?
Everett: I think the easiest answer for that is probably tech—like, tech sharing. I think that’s a very obviously smart thing to do. Why would we keep our tech improvements from each other?
A great example of that is the Operator remaster, and how we could share technology between the two games to make our characters look ten times better.Warframehas been around for ten years, the poor souls.
But I think there is, as we’ve been saying, a lot of familiarity between both games, and it’s important to keep them separate in terms of how they play and the vibes we’re going for. Obviously,Warframehas twelve years of a lot of different vibes. So maybe at some point we’ll have, you know, some cute critter vibes—who knows?—and it’ll feel like a weird crossover.
I keep trying to rally Steve to do aWarframe–Soulframecrossover, and so far he’s rejected me. But I think it’s a special choice to keep the two separate. That said, sharing is always caring—so when we see improvements, it goes both ways. IfWarframemakes an improvement,Soulframecan benefit from it, and vice versa. There’s no point in not sharing those improvements.
Asselin: I think you also asked about making them distinct from each other—I touched on that a little bit earlier with the differences, right?
But in the world we’re creating, you can see it’s a lot more focused on the overworld and that sense of romanticism that hopefully comes across in the art and the sound. You’ll see more of that in the actual demo, especially when we go into the Nethuns, which is one of our new tilesets. It’s just so special and cool—I feel it’s very unique toSoulframe.
So while yes, we have some technical sharing between the games, the world ofSoulframeitself feels so unique and different, especially with that slower pace.
How Soulframe’s Preludes Feedback Helps Shape the Game
Game Rant:How has the community factored intoSoulframe’s development? Are there aspects of the game that have been heavily driven by what players have said?
Asselin: Massively! Yeah, it’s not a secret thatSoulframewas announced very early on—perhaps too early. But what’s special about that is the community has been a part of the game’s development from the very beginning, and it truly is at the core of everything we do.
That’s what we’ve seen with the Preludes players. Every single update we put out, we get so much feedback—gifted to us, really—from all of these playtesters. And it’s very in-depth, very well thought out. It just goes to show how much passion these people have for trying our game, which again, we view as such a privilege to have.
There have been lots of design choices—like when we added our factions and our enclaves this year and tied that into the mission Sparrow-type tales. Immediately, we received lots of feedback about the XP, about the different levels.
That’s just one example of how we receive so much hot-off-the-press feedback. It makes its way immediately to the developers, and that’s one of the greatest things about having the game in this prelude state. We feel safe to experiment and to have that transparent communication with the players.
Game Rant:What would yousaySoulframeis about? Is there something you hope players will take away from their experience playing the game?
Asselin: I think there’s a lot of romanticism—the focus on nature—and of course, as I said earlier, redemption. In all of the stories we’re telling, we’re hoping to continue that redemption arc throughout.
We aspire to makeSoulframea game that feels hopeful, which—when you look at the landscape of the world—is a nice concept. That you can go into Alka and have that sense of redemption, saving it from itself in a way.
And with the Bromius fable, we’re touching on darker themes—darker than we have yet, I think. But even then, I always say there’s this hopefulness. It’s a balance that plays out through that redemption arc.
I’ve seen a lot of players post things like, “I love going intoSoulframe, hopping in—it feels like an escape from the world.” And I think that’s great. That’s sort of what we’re looking for as well.
Game Rant:How do playstyles differ from player to player inSoulframe?
Asselin: We have the Pacts, which you may have seen us use. It’s the thing you attach to your arm that gives you different magic powers. Each of these Pacts is eventually going to, ideally, connect with a specific type of playstyle—so some might end up being more support-based.
There’s still a bit of a way to go in terms of synergizing them with each other so that they feel good in a co-op space. That’s one of the systems that’s top of mind for us—something we want to build out, add more to, and really get right so it feels good.
So yeah, there’s still a bit of a ways to go with those, but we’ve added a bunch this year. Having an influx of players is definitely going to bring us new feedback on how that feels from a new player experience standpoint. So I’m excited about that.
Game Rant:Speaking of feedback, has there been any feedback lately that has really stuck in your mind?
Asselin: Definitely—there’s been a lot of feedback about the faction XP. That’s something we’ve been working on in conjunction with our Sparrow Tale system. There was some balancing that needed to be done to make it feel rewarding and satisfying.
Initially, the XP was really low and didn’t adapt well to the length or variety of the tale. So the faction Sparrow Tales themselves have been completely reworked in terms of length and structure. They’re now broken into different types: single-task Sparrow Tales, multi-task ones, and then longer ones—so you’re able to adapt your experience based on how much time you’re willing to commit.
That’s definitely something that was completely reworked based on feedback from Preludes players—and it’s for the better.
Game Rant:Speaking of factions, can you talk aboutSoulframe’s various factions and their distinctions?
Asselin: We have three factions currently.
Alka’s Children is run by our little sprout folk—that one’s a fan favorite, of course.
Then there’s Silent Rose. You probably haven’t seen it yet, but if you find the Silent Rose—and I encourage you to do so—that’s my faction of choice. Possibly because it was the first one added to the game, and I developed an attachment to it. There’s a secret tavern called the Drip & Flag Inn in the back of the Silent Rose enclave, with music created in partnership withGreat Big Sea—our friends from Newfoundland. Their band really helped bring it to life.
And finally,Kith of Kingsis our champion-style faction, inspired by the fire king Fenjotar, who you’ll encounter in the first Fable—our quest calledThe Torment Stake.
Game Rant:How do players interact with these factions or decide which to focus on?
Asselin: At the start of the game—this was added a little later on—you now pick which spirit, or virtue, you align with. Each one is connected to a faction, though that’s not super clear when you first log into the game.
So if you play it, add me on Discord and I’ll teach you![laughs]But it’s one of those things that’s still being ironed out—and surely will be.
You pick your alignment, and you get your starter weapon, which is tied to your faction. Then you’re immediately sent on a little quest to go find it. That’s how it works.
And then, in the world, these faction tales will pop up—you’ll see them on the map and on your compass. If you go find them, there will be a little friend—we call them Messengers—from each faction, waiting for you to start the tale.
So it really ties into the exploration goals, because a lot of it is about figuring out what you want to do for yourself. Maybe you want to go play that faction tale. Maybe you want to ignore it for now. But it’s all there in that system.
Game Rant:InWarframe,equipping mods makes weapons more powerfuland is responsible for much of the sense of progression and power scaling. How doesSoulframeapproach this?
Asselin: The Combat Art system is the one I was touching on earlier. We implemented it this year, but we’re planning to overhaul it with that manual-style tease we showed you. So that’s going to be a massive rework.
We’re also working on our Mote system—these adorable weapon upgrades that are actually living little guys you may power up. I wish I had a video to show you what I mean, because it’s a little hard to explain.
They’re coming later this year—hopefully.[laughs]
Game Rant:What kind of game did you envision in early conversations aboutSoulframe? Does the game still align with those early conversations or have things shifted in a new direction?
Everett: I think, at the most basic level—and I think we expressed this when we first announced it—Soulframeis essentiallyWarframe, but fantasyWarframe.Warframe, but slow.[laughs]
As you probably know,Warframeis so fast-paced—and that’s fine! That’s what those players want to do. They want to be the fastest, finish a mission in seconds, and that’s totally valid. ButSoulframe, as
Sarah mentioned, has different goals. It’s about slowing things down, making you think about your actions, taking a moment to really look at the world—to notice the beautiful environments you’re trying to save, or the animals you’re rescuing, and the choices you’re making.
And I think, in my mind, they’re absolutely achieving that. Every time I see something new—like when they recently did the quest where you get to pick your puppy—I was like, “This is the greatest game of all time.”[laughs]I have nothing to compare it to, because that just warms my heart.
But then they’ll turn around and do something wild like the Tormented Garren Stag, and I’m like, “Oh no… it’s cute, but it’s also in torment.” That contrast is so compelling.
In the very early days, the dev team—the old guard, as we call them—weren’t necessarily done withWarframe. I think they were just looking to scratch a different creative itch, to do something new and different. And once we realized it was actually achievable—thatWarframecould keep going with some new leadership, and that team could really focus onSoulframeand bring their vision to life—we were able to commit to it fully.
And honestly, they’ve done more than I ever could’ve imagined. I’m so impressed by the demo they put together—what felt like such a short amount of time—and suddenly, there it was: a nearly 30-minute demo. I think itwas30 minutes. Yeah—it’s longer thanWarframe’sdemo! And I’m just like, damn. Y’all are incredible over there.
It’s a great team, and they’re really taking those motivations—like Sarah said, the fantasy, the romanticism—to heart. They’re pushing themselves, especially because I think 99, if not 100%, of them wereWarframedevs who’ve now moved over to work onSoulframe.
So when you come from thatWarframemindset, you really need to abstract that from your thought process and try to think more in aPrincess Mononokeway when you’re making this game.
Asselin: From the early days to now, I imagine every week we continue to flesh out this world—and it’s really started to take on its own identity.
Even if, at the beginning, it was like, “Hey, let’s makeWarframe, but fantasy,” it’s not justWarframewith swords—at least not anymore. It’s become its own distinct game, and it’ll continue to grow in that direction.
Game Rant:What are the team’s current priorities withSoulframe? Is there something you’re particularly trying to hone in on?
Asselin: As I was saying, it’s really these core systems—and getting them right—that are top of mind. Building out the Pacts and weapons, figuring out what we want our Combat Art system to look like, and making sure the new player experience feels good—class A, you know?
There’s so much in the ether that we’d love to get to eventually. But right now, it’s really those core things we’re focused on.
Game Rant:How do you makeSoulframe’s weapons feel distinct fromWarframe’s arsenal of weapons? Has that been a challenge?
Asselin: I feel like there’s a lot more focus—originally—on melee, and the combat itself just feels so different. So probably, like Megan said, some of our developers coming fromWarframetoSoulframereally had to figure that out.
You can see that in the combat improvements we’ve made over the past year, and now with our new caster type—it feels very unique, fresh, and new.
Being able to build out these different weapon types is definitely helping us create distinct playstyles and overall feel.
Everett: I think, as well, even just visually—howSoulframe’sweapons look—is such a big distinction. We showed you concept art of the Avocat swords. There’s one that’s just, like, a leaf. And in my head, I’m like, “Warframe would never.”I mean, I’ll never say never, but you just can’t really imagine a leaf sword inWarframe—that wouldn’t make sense right now.
So, you know, you can only take something like a bow and make it as different as you can. And they’re really honing in on theaestheticofSoulframefor that. Sure, we may share tech in terms of how the bow works, but how it functions—how itfeels—is entirelySoulframe.
Game Rant:What would your ‘elevator pitch’ forSoulframebe if you had to describe it to a stranger?
Asselin:Soulframeis our sister game toWarframe, but it has a very different feel in a lot of ways. It’s built on themes of nature, redemption, and restoring this world from the Ode’n corruption—bringing it back to what it once was.
Hopefully, that comes across in the world you get to immerse yourself in. And in a way, through these stories, you sort of feel like you’re healing a part of yourself—recalling memories that were stolen from you.
Everett: And you get a puppy!
Asselin: And you get a puppy. And there’s now a cute bear.
[END]
