WARFRAME

Warframe is a hugely popular third-person action shooter with over 80 million players worldwide and celebrated as one of the most successful, player-friendly live-service games in the industry, thriving for more than a decade. Demonstrating how a free-to-play model can succeed, Warframe constantly delivers quality content drops and large-scale expansions, driven by transparent communication with players.

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The Ask

Sumo was brought on board to deliver live-service content for Warframe, helping to maintain Digital Extremes impeccable reputation with players. This includes:

  • Supporting ongoing development in Digital Extremes’ proprietary engine.

  • Integrating directly into the core development team and collaborate with key stakeholders.

  • Delivering fresh gameplay experiences while maintaining the integrity of Warframe’s established systems.

  • Taking ownership of delivery within constrained, live-service timelines.

  • Providing cross-discipline support across design, art, and engineering.

Project Details

Platforms: Nintendo Switch | Xbox One | Xbox Series X|S | PlayStation 4 | PlayStation 5 | PC

Genre: MMO | Third-Person Shooter

Partner: Digital Extremes

Service: Co-Development

Engine: Proprietary

Our Involvement

Gameplay Design & Development

  • Delivered over 70 new pieces of content across a 2-year period.

  • Established new abilities, weapons, and gameplay approaches.

  • Took ownership of four major expansions and associated content.

  • Designed and built new “Teacher” mission, tutorialising Warframe modding system.

  • Created new 2D minigame for Warframe 1999 from the ground up.

  • Designed new enemies and bosses across several expansions.

  • Supported economy design, proposals, simulations and balancing.

 

Art & Animation

  • Concepted, modelled, and animated Warframes and weaponry.

  • Created new environments and set-pieces to expand the Origin System.

  • Designed and delivered over ten new deluxe Warframe skins.

  • Delivered over 40 new Warframe accessories.

  • Released several seasonal content packs with accessories, weapons and skins.

A person explores a glowing cave filled with large bioluminescent mushrooms, rocky walls, and scattered lights. The scene has an otherworldly, fantasy atmosphere.
A large red and white spaceship with glowing blue engines flies through space, surrounded by debris and distant stars. The ship has angular features and illuminated accents, giving it a futuristic appearance.

Cinematics and Narrative

  • Delivered new lore and narrative context for large content drops.
  • Delivered in-game cinematics, boss intros and quest-related transition sequences.

Collaboration

  • Achieved rapid team alignment during early phases through on-site visits.

  • Worked closely with Digital Extremes to ensure seamless integration of new content.

  • Continually maintain and evolve documentation, benefiting internal hires going forward.

Impact

Our work with Digital Extremes on the Warframe franchise highlights Sumo’s ability to:

  • Deliver uncompromising quality while maintaining rigorous stewardship of a hugely popular brand.
  • Consistently deliver results that the community loves demonstrated by creating the top two best selling skins on launch.
  • Consistently perform under the pressure of live-ops content delivery, remaining fully flexible to adapt to fast changing priorities.
  • Create highly accessible experiences, improving day seven user retention through our FTUE design and “Teacher” content.
  • Provide a fresh, informed and objective perspective for ideation and problem-solving.
  • Deliver to the highest quality with one of our content drop achieving the second-highest
  • Seamlessly integrate into core development teams and deliver quality output in close collaboration with partners.

A shadowy armoured figure stands with a sword, facing a green-clad character floating amid fiery, glowing debris and swirling light. The scene is dramatic and intense, with vibrant colours and dynamic action.

“Our team has thoroughly enjoyed partnering with Sumo. The enthusiasm and creative energy …it’s very cool and shining through in the work. We’re incredibly proud of what we’re achieving together. A sincere thank you to the whole team; we’re so proud of what we’re achieving together!” – Digital Extremes

“For more than two years, Sumo has been a trusted extension of our team, a powerhouse helping to deliver content that consistently resonates with our community” – Digital Extremes

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