One of the most anticipated free-to-play upgrades for the Nintendo Switch 2 has to be Warframe. Digital Extremes’ long-running sci-fi shooter has continually proved that its excellent blend of melee and gunplay, unique character design, and emphasis on gameplay over microtransactions is the way to do free-to-play. The original version was also a real tech showcase for the first Switch, so we’re extremely excited to get our hands on the upgraded version and see just how good it looks on the Switch 2 when it releases on the 25th of March, 2026.
The Switch 2 version is set to launch alongside Warframe’s brand new update, entitled The Shadowgrapher, which brings a bunch of new quests, a new game mode, an expanded storyline, and the game’s 64th Frame in the shape of Follie.
For those hopping into Warframe on the Switch 2, there’s going to be an immediate upgrade, with the game running at 60fps with a 1080p resolution. Alongside that, there will be improved load times, and enhanced textures and shader quality. Given that the game looked surprisingly good on the original Switch, you can fully expect it to make a big jump forward, likely towards the Xbox Series S version, which has become the closest technical benchmark for Nintendo’s console.
The team at Digital Extremes have also added mouse controls thanks to the Joy Con 2’s best, and often forgotten, party trick, and you can use them across Warframe’s menu systems and in gameplay, helping you to line up the perfect headshot.
If you log in to Warframe on a Nintendo Switch 2 console from March 25 to April 15 you can also earn the exclusive Ambimanus Pack, which includes the Vericres Warfan weapon, the Akomeogi Warfan weapon skin, Slicing Feathers Stance Mod, among other cosmetics, and Affinity/Credit boosters. I will be there on day one!
The Shadowgrapher sees Warframe going all Dead by Daylight too, with the new game mode, Follie’s Hunt, bringing a 1v4 asymmetric multiplayer experience to the game. Here, the team of four have to avoid Follie, while completing the unfinished paintings scattered around the ruins of the Vesper Relay. You do this by seeking out pools of coloured ink, coating players in the liquid abyss, and transferring it to scattered canvases. So, a terrifying game of paint-by-numbers?
Each run is set to offer a varied experience due to modifiers that randomise mission hazards and enemy effects. The team say that you’ll have to “remain vigilant and level-headed as the enemy Follie gains shorter ability cooldowns, becoming more aggressive with the completion of each canvas.” Sounds great!
The devstream also gave details on the game’s yearly convention, TennoCon, with 2026 ticket sales beginning on Friday, February 27 at 4 p.m. ET. on Eventbrite:
TennoCon, the annual record-breaking two-day celebration of all things Warframe and Soulframe, will return to Digital Extremes’ hometown of London, Ontario, on July 10-11, 2026. The TennoConcert will also make a highly-requested return, featuring an orchestra performance spanning Warframe’s 13-year discography.
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- Day One (Friday, July 10) will offer a cosplay contest, early merch sales, and autograph signings, concluding with the expanded TennoConcert in Southwestern Ontario’s biggest arena — Canada Life Place.
- Day Two (Saturday, July 11) will offer dedicated panels around art, music, and narrative, a Soulframe keynote featuring the latest news, more autograph opportunities, as well as the main event, TennoLive. One of Twitch’s most-watched and most-anticipated livestreams each year, TennoLive is the Warframe keynote presentation, promising the biggest announcements and gameplay reveals of the year. Details on full panel schedules to come soon.
All tickets to TennoCon also come with access to the TennoCon 2026 Digital Pack, which includes in-game cosmetics, including emotes, skins, 475 Platinum currency, and more. For more ticket information and pricing details, please visit the official TennoCon Eventbrite ticket page.
