Digital Extremes has officially announced a major overhaul of Warframe’s new player experience, set to begin rolling out with the upcoming Yareli Prime update on May 21, 2025. The goal: to make the long-running free-to-play action RPG significantly more accessible for newcomers across all platforms.
A 12-Year Milestone and a New Direction
This announcement comes just after Warframe celebrated its 12th anniversary on March 25, marking over a decade of evolution since its original PC launch. In that time, Warframe has expanded to consoles—including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and most recently, iOS in February 2024—reaching a broader audience than ever before.
Dev Workshop: [Devstream #188] New Player Experience Changes & Quality of Life
byu/de_taylor inWarframe
However, while ports have helped expand Warframe’s reach, Digital Extremes is now turning inward to refine the core experience—starting with how the game introduces itself to new players.
What to Expect from the New Player Experience Overhaul
Announced during Devstream 188 at PAX East, the overhaul is being introduced in stages, starting with the next major update. Here are the key improvements:
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Step-by-Step Tutorial Enhancements
A more guided, intuitive tutorial flow that clearly explains movement, modding, gear management, and Warframe-specific mechanics. -
Streamlined Early Game Progression
Rebalanced and restructured starter quests like Vor’s Prize will create a smoother onboarding path, cutting down on confusion and early-game fatigue. -
Quality-of-Life Improvements
Interface changes and improved user prompts will help new players understand complex systems without having to leave the game for external guides. -
Platform Consistency
The overhaul takes into account players on mobile and console, with touch-friendly interfaces and optimized onboarding across devices.
Why This Matters
Warframe is known for its deep systems, but for years, new players have struggled with the learning curve. Digital Extremes is tackling this directly, aiming to lower the barrier to entry and grow the community as the game enters its next era.
By focusing on accessibility and onboarding, this initiative ensures that players jumping in for the first time—or returning after a long hiatus—can understand, enjoy, and stick with the game far more easily than before.
The upcoming Warframe new player experience overhaul represents more than just a tutorial update—it’s a philosophical shift. Digital Extremes is investing in the future of Warframe by welcoming new Tenno with clarity, structure, and ease-of-access in mind. With the Yareli Prime update launching May 21, players new and old have a lot to look forward to.