Warframe: 1999 is the latest update in the MMO’s long and storied history. It also does a lot to uncover the earliest days of the game’s lore, so here’s everything you need to know about the story and whether it fits into the existing canon.
Up to now, the Warframe story has taken place in a far-future alternative version of our own solar system. Though there are similarities and recognizable features, it isn’t meant to be taken as a one-to-one translation of the real thing.
The release of 1999 takes it back to the titular year and offers a limited window into how we got to where we are in the main game. As such, it raises some questions about whether it should be considered canon.
Fortunately, some clarity is available, so this is how it all works.
How Warframe: 1999 fits into the timeline
The first and most important thing to note is that everything in the 1999 update should be considered canonical when you play through it. This means that every cutscene, conversation and event happened in the standard timeline.
Though episodes like the Duviri Paradox proved that Digital Extremes isn’t afraid to experiment with alternate timelines, this update is the next major phase in the main story.
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The big piece of information that we are still missing as players is exactly what year we usually play in. Though 1999 is billed as thousands of years earlier, when it happens compared to the New War and other stories remains to be uncovered.
The narrative features six major new characters who all have recognizable powers drawn from existing Warframes. These are the earliest example of their kind and are known as Protoframes, later going on to become the finished version.
All of this ties back into the experiments of Doctor Albrecht Entrati and a Technocyte virus that could kill the Protoframes before long.
If you’re looking to jump into 1999 for yourself, check out our guide to all the prerequisites you’ll need to unlock it.