Developer Digital Extremes has announced that its hit title Warframe is making the move to mobile next year, having previously announced a mobile version of the game in 2021. iOS users in territories worldwide, including the USA and UK, can pre-register for the title through the App Store. However, the company didn’t offer any information regarding an Android release of the game.
Since its first release in 2013, Warframe has proven to be a massive success, and this success has led to the game maintaining a high level of live-ops support, including ports of the title to the current console generation, However, the game has historically missed out on gaming’s most profitable platform.
The power of parity
At present the game is available for PC, Switch, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Digital Extremes also announced that cross-progression will be coming to the game later this year, ahead of the planned mobile release. As such, players will be able to maintain their progress and levels in-game on any device they want to play on, including mobile. This may encourage existing players who may be reluctant to start fresh to turn to mobile.
Mobile has historically been at the top of the gaming industry due to its accessibility and relative affordability compared to other gaming platforms, however many of its most popular games have been casual or hypercasual titles with simple graphics and gameplay loops. The past few years have seen an increasing push for advanced graphics and more complex gameplay. This push has seen numerous PC and console games across genres be ported to mobile devices, including online titles or games with strong multiplayer components. The launch of Warframe Mobile will see the title become just the latest, opening up new revenue streams and bringing the game to the attention of new audiences who may have missed out on the opportunity to play the game.
We listed Digital Extremes parent company Tencent as one of the top 50 mobile game makers of 2023.
