Warframe Jade Shadows release date, new mode, and more

Jade Shadows is the next known update coming to Warframe, revisiting the Stalker, introducing the new frame, and significant reworks in the game’s mechanics. In the 180th DevStream, we had a good look into what’s to come in the update.

Warframe Jade Shadows release date

The Jade Shadows update will be coming to Warframe on June 18 on all platforms. It’ll be in the style of a typical update where we get a quest, a new frame, a new game mode, new weapons, balance changes, quality-of-life improvements, and several tweaks.

What to expect in Jade Shadows

While this may be a traditional Warframe update, Jade Shadows will be a cinematic quest that will last roughly up to 25 minutes. It’ll focus on what happens to The Stalker post-New War while introducing Jade.

Because of this, you will have to progress through the game’s questline up until the completion of The New War. The dev team at Digital Extremes also requests that players be mindful of spoilers when this is released, so it’ll be important for upcoming expansions.

Status rework

One of the bigger tweaks coming in this update has to be the rework to the Blast, Cold, and Magnetic status effects. Right now, the elements pertaining to Toxin and its combinations reign supreme along with Fire. The aforementioned procs are to be reworked in a way that brings them up to snuff.

It’s too soon to tell if this will flip the meta entirely, but it does already sound like it’s making every elemental combination viable in the endgame. 

Warframe Jade Shadows new game mode

Along with the quest and status rework, there will be a new game mode coming to Warframe called “Ascension”. It seems to be a multiple-phase game mode where you first defend an objective, then go into an elevator and escort an objective with you.

From this elevator part, you have to power the mechanism up with batteries while avoiding a bunch of hazards and hard-hitting enemies. Should you fall or mess up, you must climb back up and maintain the energy of the elevator going upward. 

The final part seems to borrow from the mechanics of the Hijack mode where you then have to escort a moving payload and prevent it from being destroyed. 

So, in short, this game mode will require players to be very mobile, utilizing all the movement techniques in Warframe. At the same time, they have to sport a decent build that can take down tough enemies. 

There will also be an event tied to this mode as the update comes out called Belly of the Beast. Rewards include Arcane Enhancements from previous events and more. 

Additional things coming with Jade Shadows

There will be huge UI improvements coming to Jade Shadows like missions depicting enemy resistance and weaknesses. You’ll also be able to edit your loadout while at the Star Chart menu for a more streamlined mission approach. 

Many more improvements to the new user experience will be made that will benefit veterans too. Such things include damage numbers and how they’re displayed, polarity matching, fast travel menus, and more.

Finally, we’ll be getting new Augment mods for Protea, Qorvex, Dagath, and Sevagoth. There’s so much to unpack for fans of the upcoming frame and those who will be affected by the status reworks.