In 2018, alongside other staff members at Fanbyte, I found myself suddenly very interested in Warframe. There is something gratifying about that thoughtless grind that evolves into something more when it inevitably surprises you with some truly wild twists and turns.
Over a span of about six months I played a lot. About 200 hours worth. But the next big thing came along and I ended up putting Warframe down and four years later I’ve never really returned.
It’s an interesting perspective, following a game in the background. Knowing that you love it a lot, despite not having the time to play. 2018 certainly felt like the game’s peak. An explosion of success into the upper echelons of free-to-play titles.
But over the last few years, something seems to have taken some wind out of the game’s sails, at least from the outside looking in. There have certainly been some frustrations in the community about overpromising and underdelivering. This year’s big expansion got pushed into 2023. But has all of that done a number on the game’s player base?
The short answer is yes, though by no means is a general feeling enough to assign all of the blame here. But numbers are down. They’re obviously up overall given how explosive the growth was in 2017, but we’ve now returned to levels last seen before Warframe became the giant that it is today.
The numbers aren’t awful, to be clear. They’re still well above those from 2014 to 2016. But for now, at least, Warframe has likely said goodbye to the huge surge it gained, and somehow maintained, from Plains of Eidolon and The Sacrifice.
It seems like everything is up to The Duviri Paradox expansion which was first teased back in 2019 and is now delayed out into 2023. The game is big enough where there will obviously be a spike, some of that player base will come back. There is definitely more on its shoulders this time around with numbers in decline and Soulframe still very early on in development.
Five New Games 🆕
Heck of a week for new games!!!
The Callisto Protocol (#4)
The reviews for this one have been mixed at best, with lots complaining about performance issues, but that hasn’t stopped it from climbing up to the top of the best sellers list. As much as I love the Dead Space franchise (which this is a spiritual successor to), and want to love this, it really sucks to see how Striking Distance Studios CEO Glen Schofield has handled crunch and blame.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns (#6)
If you haven’t kept up with all of the Marvel games you’d be forgiven. The Spider-Man games were fantastic, Avengers was just okay, and Guardians of the Galaxy was a surprise hit, but hasn’t achieved the same fanfare as Spider-Man.
Midnight Suns is a departure from those style of games, however, with Firaxis, the studio behind Civilization and XCOM, at the helm. That’s good too as Midnight Suns looks to be like XCOM 2 strategy meets Fire Emblem: Three Houses with friendships, conversations, and gifts.
Need for Speed Unbound (#7)
I haven’t seen people this excited for a Need for Speed game since 2005’s Most Wanted. Also it looks stylish as all hell.
Predecessor (#10)
Apparently they’re still releasing new MOBAs in the year 2022. And by new MOBAs I mean this is apparently the revived corpse of Epic Games’ Paragon.
Evil West (#60)
I don’t know how well Evil West plays, but I do know it looks damn good.
Battle alone or with a friend in stylish, gory action combat
Myths and legends retold within a stylised, weird wild west universe
Evolve with perks, upgradable weapons, and tools
Explore and fight through a story-driven campaign to save America
The Movers 🆙
For a second there Warframe was looking like it was in trouble, but thanks to a recent update, it has surged back up the charts.
+75 Warframe
+75 Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
+72 Marvel Snap
+71 Team Fortress 2
+64 Shadows Over Loathing
In Danger ⚡
Hunt: Showdown is the only game in last week’s danger zone that dropped off after 21 consecutive weeks.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered (#72) - 20 Weeks
Phasmophobia (#67) - 116 Weeks
Smite (#62) - 178 Weeks
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (#58) - 57 Weeks
Madden NFL 21 (#58) - 17 Weeks
Longest Lasting ⌛
Smite isn’t really in danger, but it’s the only one of these games outside the top 30 at the moment.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (539 Weeks)
Warframe (506 Weeks)
Grand Theft Auto V (412 Weeks)
The Elder Scrolls Online (411 Weeks)
Rust (389 Weeks)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (368 Weeks)
Final Fantasy XIV Online (314 Weeks)
Dead by Daylight (291 Weeks)
War Thunder (284 Weeks)
Destiny 2 / Smite (178 Weeks)