Warframe holds a funeral for its wall-running rework, but its horror-themed new update is making up for the loss

New Warframe update The Shadowgrapher arrives in March, and it's leaning into horror, complete with an inky new frame. Before that, however, we've got an overhaul for Vauban, a new look for Dagath, and a solemn goodbye to the troubled wall-running redesign. Warframe Devstream 192 brings together creative director Rebecca Ford, Digital Extremes CEO Steve Sinclair, design director Pablo Alonso, community director Megan Everett, and Soulframe lead Geoff Crookes, as we take a look at what 2026 holds for the free Steam game.

There were suspicions after the long-touted Warframe overhaul didn't make the cut in time for The Old Peace, but now it's official. "We gather here today to mourn the loss of the wall-running rework," Ford eulogizes. "It didn't matter how much time we spent on it, or how much it felt like it would be cooler." Despite being a little pleased that he was proven right, Sinclair chimes in with a measure of consolation. "I would never say never… It's a big, big, big game to change that stuff."

"Wherever we went, there were always new compromises to make - players might end up hating the new compromises more," Alonso explains. "It didn't really feel like it was elevating the game, it felt a lot like change for change's sake. And then it was like, well, why are we doing this?" Instead, the team is focusing on tweaks to some other parts of Warframe's movement, such as the pull-up or mantle, and improved motion matching to smooth interactions between frames and the world. "This is the makeup on the dead body," Ford jokes.

With the bad news out of the way, we move onto the Vauban Heirloom update, which arrives on February 11. Along with the new look, he's getting some upgrades that "went from retouch to rework." His grenades should spread more for crowd control, while his four old mine variants have been combined into two. The offensive pairing blends the damage of Flechette Orb and the control of Tether Coil, while the utility pick mixes the speed of Vector Pad and the damage boost from Overdriver.

Photon Strike gets some more range and guarantees blast status, plus it's cheaper and will gain three shots with its augment instead of two. Last but not least, the enemy cap on Bastille has been removed. "When I was putting the changes together, that one scared me the most," Alonso remarks. That February 11 update will also include the Dagath Deluxe skin, where she's accompanied by a tiny flaming horse, and an accompanying Gynfas Kaithe design.

After that, what can we look forward to in The Shadowgrapher? The changes start right at the beginning, with an overhaul to the Awakening mission that starts new players' adventures in Warframe. We'll also be getting a "team-based game mode" accessible from the Vesper Relay near Venus. Expect expansions for Coda, Kuva, and Tenet weapons as well - Coda gets a Bubonico variant, Kuva adopts the Ghoulsaw, and Tenet the Quanta laser cutter. Alongside these, Requiem Relic farming has been overhauled.

The Shadowgrapher will see the debut of our 64th Warframe, Follie. She's being kept largely under wraps for the time being, although we do get a first glimpse of her design, and I love the horror vibes of the node where she's found. She's themed around ink and painting, and you'll have to delve into a special portrait in order to bring her into the fold. "Her inky brushes will paint reality to the canvas," Ford hints.

Elsewhere, we've got a pair of deluxe skins. "Who's the best duo? Grendel/Gauss, yo, my boys," Ford exclaims with glee. The two frames are getting snazzy, mecha-inspired designs. Grendel is accompanied by the Acceltra Deluxe, while Gauss gets the Masseter Deluxe. By far the best part, however, is a duo emote truly capturing the bromance. The full reveal for The Shadowgrapher will be during the next Warframe Devstream on Friday February 27, so stay tuned for that.