Fire up your Atomicycle and ride the devil down — Warframe: 1999 launches tomorrow, December 13! The next step in Warframe’s cinematic narrative continues as players leap back to 1999 and the city-state of Höllvania. Fight alongside The Hex, a crew of enhanced soldiers resembling some of your favorite Warframes, as they tackle new enemies like the Techrot and Scaldra. Make new friends and foes or even indulge in a little romance for the first time in Warframe’s history!

For some extra insights into the new update, we spoke to Senior Community Manager Danielle Sokolowski about what’s coming in Warframe 1999, the setting of Höllvania as well as new missions and PvPvE updates that players can look forward to.

The Hex is a big part of 1999. In what ways can players look forward to interacting with this crew of unique characters?

Sokolowski: They sure are! You’ll first interact with Arthur, Aoi, Lettie, Amir, Quincy and Eleanor in the new Cinematic Quest appropriately titled “The Hex,” where you’ll take part in their efforts to prevent disaster in the city of Höllvania on December 31, 1999. Nothing says “Happy New Year” like taking down a tank with six of your soon-to-be besties. 

Members of The Hex are core to many of the new systems in the update, which means you’ll have lots of opportunities to spend time with them and attempt to woo them, if that’s your speed. Playing as the Drifter, the Operator’s more mature counterpart, you’ll get to know each Protoframe through a ’90s chat messenger system called the Pom-2. This is really where you’ll interact on a deeper level with them—whether that’s through a platonic friendship or steamy romance!

You’ll also be able to join The Hex in-mission by picking up Bounties. Each member of The Hex will have tasks for you, so you’ll get to spend time with your faves. Turning in Hex Treasures you find in Höllvania or completing Bounties will grant rewards like Blueprints for the new Warframe Cyte-09, Weapons, Cosmetics and more.

And you can’t forget the Gemini Oath Collection—which lets you play as (and customize) the Protoframes themselves, and hear more of their personalities with a full gamut of unique voice lines. There will rarely be a moment when you aren’t interacting with The Hex in Warframe: 1999!

What kind of excitement awaits in Höllvania, the battleground for Warframe: 1999?

Sokolowski: You can definitely expect a lot of Techrot and Scaldra activity on and below the streets of Höllvania! The Scaldra are equipped with corrosive weapons to fight off the pervasive Techrot: a mutated, infested menace. As you explore Höllvania and assist The Hex, you’ll have to fight your way through both of these new threats.

You’ll also find that the environment offers a lot of dynamic combat opportunities. Whether you take on enemies in the streets, high above the skyline, or deep underground amongst the festering Techrot, it’s definitely a parkour enthusiast’s dream. You won’t have to traverse the city just on foot, though! We’ve added a new vehicle called the Atomicycle, a souped-up (and stylish) motorcycle. Players got a chance to try it in the 1999 Demo and since then, thanks to their feedback, we’ve improved its overall handling and responsiveness, as well as added new features.

There are other interactive elements in Höllvania as well. As someone who spent too much time playing Snake on my old phone, the coda.worm.nomnom<v.42> mini-game has a special place in my heart. You’ll also want to keep your eye out for Hex Treasures to pick up, like an On-lyne CD and Mood Crystals. Returning these beloved items will have the team back at the Mall hideout singing your praises.

Höllvania transitions through multiple seasons. How do seasons affect gameplay in the update?

Sokolowski: Once you complete “The Hex” Quest, an in-game Calendar becomes accessible from the Pom-2 PC that will tell you which season is active. At launch, players will first experience Höllvania in the dead of winter, with spring to follow, then summer, fall and winter again. Combined with procedurally-generated tiles, players will step into and experience a very different Höllvania each season with unique lighting, vegetation and soundscapes.

As Höllvania changes with the seasons, so do the systems in 1999. The Calendar is where you can take stock of the challenges, rewards, upgrades from The Hex and more that you can interact with in a season. A week in the real world equals a season in 1999 and the types of challenges and rewards change with this weekly rotation.

What experience are you trying to bring to players with Warframe’s new PvPvE mode?

Sokolowski: Warframe is primarily a PVE game that lets you work with a squad to complete objectives against NPCs, so adding PVP elements—while keeping that collaborative spirit—is a combination we feel players will really enjoy.

We call this game mode “Faceoff” and I think that perfectly embodies friendly competition—everyone wins in the end, but what if you “won” just a little bit better than the opposing team and scored a pizza party? With eight players running around Höllvania, it’s definitely an ambitious game mode with lots of moving parts. Players are encouraged to bring their best equipment to these missions and coordinate with their teammates towards victory! If battling other players isn’t your speed, there is a solo mode that fills both teams with NPCs.

What other new mission types will be available in Warframe: 1999?

In addition to the new Faceoff mode, there are four other mission types in Höllvania guided by members of The Hex. Some will be familiar to players, but with extra-special 1999 flare.

Take down the Scaldra H-09 Efervon Tank with Arthur’s intelligence in a multi-phase Assassination fight. Or let Lettie guide you in HellScrub to clear the Techrot by keeping Hell-Scrubber devices charged and clear of Infested gunk. There’s also classic Exterminate, with Quincy directing you to clear out Höllvania to protect civilians, alongside optional supply caches—at the cost of sending Techrot enemies into a frenzy. Eleanor instructs you in Legacyte Harvest to follow Kalymos, Albrecht and Loid’s faithful feline companion, as she searches for Techrot Legacytes to destroy. But she must be protected in order to track properly.

There is also the 1999 Arcade classic Caliber Chicks 2! If you want a break from the chaos in Höllvania, you can kick back with Jillian and Lillian Killian in this run-and-gun platform game co-developed by Sumo Digital. This endless game mode has you gunning down punks and chasing their ruthless leader, Anna Ki, to rescue the President.

Can players expect the roster of Protoframes to grow in the future?

Sokolowski: 1999 isn’t even out yet and there’s already been so much love for our six Hex Protoframes! Reception since the first teasers has been overwhelmingly positive, and the amount of fan art and fan edits alone has been astounding… just constantly flowing.

There’s already clear interest from the community, so it would feel like we’d be missing out if we were to stop here. We can’t promise who’s up next, or if we’d consider all possible options, but we’re definitely also interested in seeing more Protoframes after 1999. The storytelling possibilities are endless with the Warframe roster; it’s just a matter of finding what best fits the team’s vision.

The launch of Warframe: 1999 tomorrow, December 13, isn’t the only reason to celebrate. We’re also giving away a set of custom, limited-edition Xbox controllers inspired by the update! Just like their Protoframe counterparts, these controllers have been changed into something new: one is clad in the armor of Hex leader Arthur Nightingale, while the other sports the sleek blue hues of his right hand, Aoi Morohoshi. You can enter to win one of these exclusive controllers right now!