It was bound to happen.
Warframe's next major story update, the 1999 expansion, will introduce plenty of new features to the mix, like '90s boy bands and instant messenger clients. However, one thing that definitely wasn't on my bingo card is a romance system that could end with a New Year's kiss from any of the Hex, a new syndicate made up of Protoframes.
"[I] always wanted to put some type of romance system into Warframe," creative director Rebecca Ford says during an interview with GamesRadar. "[But] there was never an appropriate scenario to do it."
It took 11 years for the romance system to be added to Warframe, and it seems like one of the main reasons for it being greenlit was Baldur's Gate 3's success: "I think two things really gave us the courage to proceed," Ford says. "Of course, the success of Baldur's Gate and their romance system [made us go] 'Okay, people do want this fantasy.' It does help, there's no doubt, but we did have ambitions of it that fit the Warframe architecture, on and off… Baldur's Gate was the push over the cliff for sure, and I'm grateful for that. It was one of the best gaming experiences for me ever. "
Players will be able to romance any of the Hex in a messaging mini-game, including Arthur, who Ben Starr voices, so take note if you're a Clive Rosfield fan. "You'll be able to deepen your relationship with the Protoframes in The Hex through the power of Kinematic Instant Messaging," according to Warframe's website.
Romancing characters through instant messaging in a third-person shooter is pretty wild, but it's not the most out-of-pocket thing we've learned about Warframe as of late. We actually talked with Ford around a month ago about whether Warframes can get pregnant: "It's such a constellation of truths when we're dealing with this subject matter. Big picture, very clearly when dealing with a pregnant warframe as a concept, it's like, what the hell, this free-to-play grindy MMO added a pregnant hero." Although the question still stands as all Ford confirmed was that they could be pregnant, but not if they can get pregnant—it's complicated and honestly not for the faint of heart.
Despite these recent events, you shouldn't get your hopes up about the upcoming romance system, as the best-case scenario is just a New Year's kiss. But the dating mini-game will still likely be an unforgettable experience, I mean, who doesn't want to e-date various members of the Hex?
