Digital Extremes announces Warframe: 1999 anime short releasing later this year

Among the many major announcements for Warframe at TennoCon 2024, developer Digital Extremes revealed that fans can expect an anime short that dives deeper into the world of Warframe: 1999. The game’s winter expansion adds a colossal new area, and this anime will help you explore it through a whole new medium.

The Warframe: 1999 anime short is being created by animation studio The Line. The company has staff from around the world who each bring a unique perspective and skill to the table. You’ve probably seen some of its work, even if you don’t know it. The Line’s portfolio includes anime shorts for Overwatch 2‘s collaboration with Transformers and Cowboy Bebop, as well as League of Legends, HSBC, and even Gucci.

Engross yourself in Warframe: 1999‘s infested Earth

I don’t know what this Warframe: 1999 anime short will be, outside of the announcement of this collaboration with The Line. Warframe is an incredibly stylish game, so there’s no end to the possibilities of immersive emotional character development or physics-defying action that could be on display.

What I’d love to see is a nice balance between what we were shown during the TennoCon 2024 demo for the winter expansion. Initially, Arthur is found back at base with his fellow Protoframes, and we get to explore his relationship with each through a few lines of dialogue while he frustratedly accuses each of them of moving his keys. Warframe: 1999 features a relationship system for players to engage with over time, so seeing The Line pick one path for Arthur and another character to help flesh out their backstories or the world would be really insightful.

Of course, Arthur is an Excalibur Protoframe, and the key art and ending for the expansion’s demo shows him going toe-to-toe with what we’ve always known as the Excalibur Warframe. A brutal showdown blending everything players use in-game, including the 90s-style weapons, abilities, and acrobatics, would be fantastic.

Whatever route The Line takes, this anime short brings the game into a new medium for fans to enjoy. Something I love about the game is that it’s already a lot of fun to watch on stream or carefully created VODs on YouTube. Seeing the story through a new lens, especially one that can be so visually impressive, should make for a fantastic appetizer or follow-up to Warframe: 1999, depending on when it’s released.