Soulframe has been the Warframe studio's invite-only project for years. That ends next week.
According to PC Gamer, Digital Extremes is opening its fantasy action RPG to everyone on November 6, after three years of invite-only playtests. Inven Global, which covered a media preview of the same plans, lists the start as November 7 Korean time. We couldn't check Digital Extremes' own announcement directly, so everything below is credited to the outlets reporting it.
How you get in
Inven Global reports that the open alpha, called Open Preludes, is Windows PC only and runs through the official website. No invite is needed: you create an account on the Soulframe website and download the launcher. Inven Global also notes that no Steam or console plans were part of this update, and describes Soulframe as free-to-play.
So the barrier to entry is an account and a download. That's it.
Prelude 17 changes the shape of the game
The bigger story is what comes after the doors open. PC Gamer reports that Prelude 17, Verse of the Veilands, will "radically change the structure of the game" later in November. Midrath, Soulframe's open landmass, gets corrupted from the start, and your job is to bring it back to life.
"You're going to enter a game that is much more unforgiving and harsh at first glance," creative director Geoff Crookes said, in a presentation PC Gamer attended. According to PC Gamer, Crookes said the aim is a better onboarding experience that gives players "much more ownership" over their early decisions. PC Gamer adds that feedback from players who struggled to reach the point where they could freely explore pushed the team towards a more direct intro.
Inven Global spells out how the restoration works. The Ode drain energy from the world through Siphons. You reclaim a region by finishing its Votive missions, learning its sacred song and cleansing the Siphon. Restored regions bring back wildlife, fishing and events, change the loot and resources on offer, and stay restored for good. Votives can now be picked up and tracked from the world map, rather than through World Trees and regional representatives.
Wolves, a new Pact and a returning event
Both outlets report that the wolf pup can now grow into a full mount. Inven Global lists what that takes: a trained pup, two cleansed regions and a growth biscuit brewed with the Ancestor Verminia. It also says mounts work in co-op, and raising the pup is optional.
There's a new Pact too, Soulframe's version of a class. PC Gamer says its name was still undecided at the presentation it attended, and describes it as a "hunter, poacher-type Pact" tied to the alien Ode, with a sci-fi bola, a cone of spikes and a balloon that sends enemies flying. Inven Global calls it the Ode Shrike and adds thorn traps, a throwable evasion bomb and a new dagger to the kit. Inven Global also reports that the seasonal event Bita's Eve returns, with squash patches, a headless horseman mini-boss and limited-time rewards.
Lead designer Scott McGregor didn't undersell it. "I think this is probably one of the biggest, most violent changes we've made to the structure of the game in a long while," he said, according to PC Gamer.
The timing catch
Here's the practical bit. PC Gamer reports that Verse of the Veilands probably won't be ready for the start of the open alpha. The plan is to ship it before the end of November, and PC Gamer suggests new players might want to wait for it. Even then, PC Gamer reports that the update won't be fully finished, describing what arrives as "the functional bones" of what will come in the final game.
Jax's take: If you've been curious about Soulframe, an open door with no invite is the right time to look. But the overhaul is aimed squarely at the new-player experience. Waiting a few weeks for Prelude 17 to land seems the smarter move than learning a structure that's about to change.
Reporting notes