'Warframe''s new Constellations update puts the focus back among the stars (interview)

Defying recent live service trends in gaming, Warframe has been going strong for 13 years. It's one of the best space games out there, and it shows no signs of slowing down with the Jade Shadows: Constellations update. The online sci-fi action RPG has evolved both technically and narratively over the years, changing from a game where the story has blossomed from background to the emotion-driven forefront of every major update. In 2024, Jade Shadows started the process of humanising Stalker - the player's long-term nemesis - by making him a father. Jade Shadows: Constellations serves the dual purpose of continuing this story, and taking the first steps down the road of reinvigorating the game's space-based content. At the end of Jade Shadows, players chose one of two names for Stalker's son; Sirius, or Orion. The surprise hook for Constellations is that both came to be… in a way. Bursting onto the scene from parallel timelines, each has come to claim their father for their own. Sirius takes after their mother, while Orion takes after their father. Both are named after notable stellar phenomena: Sirius is the brightest star in the Earth's night sky, while Orion is one of the most prominent constellations visible from Earth (itself named after the legendary hunter in Greek mythology). Stalker, when he appears during a mission, will relentlessly chase down the player until he or his target dies. …