Warframe's huge new update, The Vallis Undermind, adds an adorable fungus frame

We all have our first-ever Warframe. In practical terms it's either Excalibur, Mag, or Volt, but in actuality there's always that one frame that you're desperate to unlock. For me it was Garuda, the life-stealing gore queen, but as a new player, she wasn't the easiest to get to grips with. Instead, I swapped to Saryn Prime, which I received via Twitch drop at Tennocon 2024. As a Shadow Priest main in World of Warcraft and someone who prefers to deal damage over time, she was absolutely perfect, letting me rush through the Orb Vallis with ease. While my primary frames now switch between Nyx and newcomer Oraxia, I was looking forward to the "fun guy" that Digital Extremes teased at Tennocon this year and, now that I've seen him, I'm obsessed with him.

Warframe's huge fall update, entitled The Vallis Undermind, takes us to a brand new zone called The Deepmines which, as you likely expect, are fungus-filled caverns deep beneath those aforementioned snow-covered plains of the Orb Vallis on Venus. You'll need to link up with a new bounty vendor called Nightcap in Fortuna, and then you'll be able to descend into the darkness.

Available to all those who have completed The New War, you'll be earning Fergoline, the MMO's latest resource, which just so happens to be exactly what an ominous creature called 'The Prince' is looking for. Feeding said mushroom monster will unlock a series of visions, allowing you to explore The Deepmines' history in greater detail.

But the main focus is, of course, Nokko, the 62nd Warframe to be added to the game. Described by Fortuna's residents as the adoptive younger brother of the water-based Yareli (they even have partner emotes, which I'm obsessed with), he's largely support-based, healing both his allies and himself.

His Stinkbrain allows him to scatter mushrooms around the battlefield that deal Viral damage (a mixture of Cold and Toxic), while his Brightbonnet increases his allies' energy and buffs strength. My personal favorite is Reroot, which transforms Nokko back into his invulnerable, tiny Sprodling form, letting him heal up and spread sleep spores. Then there's Sporespring, which unleashes a bouncing mushroom that leaps between enemies and deals damage.

But that's not all. Vital Decay, Nokko's passive, sees him revert to Sprodling form so that he can scramble to a previously-placed mushroom. If he manages it, he'll get back into the fight, otherwise he'll need to be revived.

It's great to see another Support frame (I do love a few rounds of Wisp), and given that he uses my favorite element, I really can't wait to take him for a spin. You can unlock him in the same way you always do: using Platinum or grinding Nightcap's bounties for blueprints.

In addition to this, The Teacher quest (unveiled back at TennoCon) launches with The Vallis Undermind, too, and it'll finally teach you how to mod. As someone who basically just clicks 'auto-mod' and hopes for the best, this is absolutely massive. The mission is available just after Vor's Prize (the MMO's first big story beat) and you'll get the new Thornbak rifle for completing it. I really can't stress how huge this is for newer players.

Then there's the long-awaited Oberon rework, giving everyone's favorite Paladin a much-needed power boost. You can check out the specifics here, but The Vallis Undermind really is a treat for support-frame players.

Lastly, we got another Protoframe tease ahead of the mysterious Devil's Triad, which adds the Diablo-inspired 'devilframe' Uriel later this year. Voiced by the iconic René Zagger, who you may recognize as Emet-Selch from Final Fantasy 14, the mysterious Roathe (an Orokin pocessing Uriel) joins the lineup alongside Harrow and Wisp to, presumably, complete the Triad. Not that I'd say no to more Protoframes, though.

To top it all off, there are a slew of new cosmetics, too, including premium skins for Lavos and Wukong, as well as new TennoGen and Nights of Naberus drops. The Quest to Conquer Cancer returns for its fourth year, too, with more cosmetic unlocks for reaching specific donation tiers.

Warframe's The Vallis Undermind update arrives on Wednesday October 15 (my birthday, yay!). Players that log in between October 15 and Tuesday October 21 will also get the base Oberon frame for free to celebrate his rework.

If all of this has lured you back into the Origin System, we have a list of all the currently active Warframe codes so that you can score yourself some free cosmetics. Alternatively, if you've taken a break and are just coming back, we've got a full rundown of the Warframe system requirements to ensure that your rig can check out what The Vallis Undermind has to offer.

Are you excited for Warframe's new update? Let us know on Discord, and tell me what your favorite frame is. Despite being terrified of spiders I do love Oraxia, but my Nyx Protoframe skin may just tip the balance - who doesn't want Amelia Tyler whispering in their ear?