Digital Extremes has a first look at the Warframe Tau expansion, which is arriving for free in December and taking us to the long-awaited new star system. Alongside that comes a look at our 67th Warframe, Brysko, who’s voiced by Matt Mercer and strides into battle alongside his very good Hound companion. For Warframe Devstream 198, Creative Director Rebecca Ford is dressed as Deadlock’s Drifter, while Community Director Megan Everett cosplays The Doorman. They’re joined (in more standard garb) by design Director Pablo Alonso, CEO Steve Sinclair, and Soulframe Director Geoff Crookes.
Ford says that the team “will do our best to avoid as many spoilers as possible,” given the very story-driven nature of our journey to Tau. It’s been a year since we learned more about the star system during The Old Peace, and now we’ll finally get to see what has become of the location in the modern day. We’ll get the exact Tau release date in November’s Warframe Devstream, and you’ll need to have completed the Prologue to Tau, “which basically means up to date on all the content,” Everett notes.
Tau uses its own separate star chart, which will start out with two distinct locations. There’s Perita, and the mafia-riddled ring-city of Fornax. We start out with a look at the former. Everett jumps into Perita at the World Cedar Oasis, where the Cleaving Glaive syndicate has taken root. Ford notes this spot acts as “an oasis in what has become of this environment,” and it’ll become our starting hub for Tau. “You made some dramatic changes here as part of your actions in The Old Peace,” Ford remarks.
Perita will be structured “very much like a core Warframe region, where you’ll have an environment with some distinct missions, some classics brought back,” according to Ford. The current mission we’re watching is Codename Sandstorm Survival, and introduces the raging sandstorm as a threat that hurts you as you make your way through it. “We’re playing with environmental state changes so that you can see what has become of Perita.”
Moving over to Fornax, we get a look at the second of three hub regions (the first being the Lastbloom Lounge casino shown during Tennocon). On the way there, Ford reveals that if you fall off the map in Fornax, you will die: “This is not going to be a cozy teleport simulator, we’re just going to kill you, so don’t fall.” We arrive at Manifold 90-BF, to meet “a group within the Fornax syndicate.” It’s also one of the most visually striking areas in Warframe to date, with all manner of weird goings on that I’m sure we’ll learn more about as we play.
Another nice addition for the Warframe Tau update is that ten Prime sets are being permanently taken out of the vault and being put into Perita “forever.” Instead of waiting “years and years” for them to rotate back, you’ll be able to farm the relics for those older Primes in this new location.
Also introduced with Tau are new damage types. “You’re going to be able to combine the Tau damage with the three IPS types [Impact, Puncture, and Slash] to create brand-new types with unique status and stuff,” Alonso explains. “There will be mods in Tau to be able to get Tau damage into your weapons.” He notes that it’ll feel “a little different” from elemental modding, “but you’ll figure it out.” Alongside that comes buffs for the existing IPS mods – more on those in Devstream 199.
Finally, it’s time to take a look at Brysko. His signature trick is his passive, which will see his dog companion work to revive him if he falls in battle. His first ability hurls a deck of cards dealing high electric damage. His second sends his pet in to levitate a group of enemies, sharing damage between all the affected foes. His third leans into his gambling tendencies, causing you to take damage over time but with lifestrike on all ability damage and a buff to your output.
“You can gamble for how far you want to take it,” Alonso explains. “Cast it once and it’s pretty safe; you’re just going to get a little tick of health, you’ll be fine. Press it twice, now you’re taking more damage, you’re doing more damage. Press it three times and then it starts getting really scary.” Go too far and die, and you’ll flip into your four-legged friend, who must dash around collecting cores and bring them back to revive Brysko.
Rounding things out is Brysko’s ultimate, Corecracker – a powerful hand cannon that will empty its entire magazine in one rapid motion when you use the alternate fire. Each kill you score with this will spawn a ‘core’ that then attacks other enemies within range. If you want to add Brysko to your roster, you’ll be able to earn his parts as you progress through the new quest chain on Tau.
The Warframe Tau expansion launches in December 2026 as a free update for all players. You can play for free on Steam, or via the Digital Extremes launcher. For the full breakdown, look ahead to Devstream 199, which will be taking place on Friday November 27. It’s going to be quite the overhaul for Warframe, and the start of a brand-new epoch.