Most gamers would be aware that Warframe is one of the best and most popular (currently seventh most played) massively online roleplaying games (MMOs).

Its developers, Digital Extremes, have just announced a sister game called Soulcraft, which they hope to have a playable (though not final release) version of within a year.

The typical development time for an MMO is five plus years but they already have a solid MMO engine driving Warframe.

All they need to do is create new systems and content.

Artists have been working on it since 2019 and they expanded development in February so suggesting that we'll see a playable alpha or beta version within a year isn't crazy.

No, the Soul in Soulframe isn't a reference to the Souls-like genre.

Also no, this isn't straight up sci-fi.

They describe it as their own unique spin on fantasy and in the trailer we can see elements of technology.

Technology is actually central to the new game's themes of nature, industry and restoration.

The conceit [in ‘Soulframe’] is that the world itself is a little angry about what’s been done to it, and the grounds underneath tend to shift throughout the day. So there’s going to be proceduralism within the cave networks and crevasses and so on underneath the world.

Now that's an interesting notion.

Procedurally generated dungeons aren't new in either online or single-player games but usually their randomness is just presented to players without explanation.

This notion that nature is fighting back against the incursion of technology by restructuring itself is simple but clever.

We can also possibly see another layer of transformation in the trailer at the character level.

The half naked chap we see at the beginning with the metal mask and robotic arm - later his arm appears to be some kind of blue stone carved with symbols.

Suggesting that nature has transformed the technological into something mystical.

Perhaps this and other (detachable) arms could be Soulframe's analog of Warframe's warframes.

In Warframe players can pilot a wide array of mechs with different abilities - effectively a form of multi-classing.

On the topic of business model, Warframe is a free-to-play title with microtransactions and the same will likely apply to Soulframe.

Microtransactions can be deeply unpleasant but Warframe is regarded to have one of the best free-to-play business models.

At the Soulframe website, you can solve an easy puzzle to access an email newsletter, name reservation and bonus item form.

Corporate Stuff

Not everyone is interested in these details but Warframe / Soulframe developers Digital Extremes are owned by Tencent.

At this time it's rare to see announcements for any new MMOs - that's a very crowded space - and cancellations aren't uncommon.

Last year Amazon announced the cancellation of their Lord of the Rings MMO which they had been developing in partnership with Leyou who acquired the online game rights to Lord of the Rings in 2018.

Followng Tencent's 2020 acquisition of Leyou, an unresolvable dispute arose between Amazon and Tencent.

So bye bye Middle Earth.

Now we have a different fantasy MMO being unveiled which they told us began development in 2019.

The Lord of the Rings being one of the biggest and oldest fantasy franchises, the game's cancellation was curious.

Possibly there is no relation between the two, but the existence of Soulframe is potential motive for Tencent to not want a Lord of the Rings MMO to proceed.

The two would be in direct competition and Amazon were not only partners in the MMO but also developing the soon to be released television series.

That series and an online game would have had great potential for cross promotion and to grow the Lord of the Rings property.

Tencent's piece of that pie is relatively small but Soulframe and its success in any medium is all theirs.

[ Main Image: Soulframe announcement trailer. Credit: Digital Extremes via YouTube. ]

References

GamersPrey (July 17, 2022). Soulframe Trailer [HD 1080P]. YouTube.

Grayson, Nathon (July 16, 2022). ‘Soulframe’ is the ‘Warframe’ creators’ follow-up to their decade-spanning hit. The Washington Post.

Ivan, Tom (April 17, 2022). Amazon has cancelled its Lord of the Rings MMO ‘due to a dispute with Tencent’. Video Games Chronicle.

Kuchera, Ben (January 2, 2018). How Warframe built an ethical free-to-play economy. Polygon.

MMO Populations. Top MMOs in 2022. (viewed July 17, 2022)

Soulframe. Homepage. (viewed July 17, 2022)

Wikipedia. Athlon Games (viewed July 17, 2022)

Wikipedia. Warframe. (viewed July 17, 2022)