Warframe received another massive free story update on December 10 with the release of the expansion The Old Peace. Its developers consistently roll out balance patches, engage with players through Twitch devstreams, and even host a fan convention that draws crowds to London, Ontario every summer.

Figure 1. Warframe Misses Out on Game Awards, but Its Developer Doesn’t Mind.

Yet despite all this, Digital Extremes won’t appear in the Game Awards’ Community Support category, nor will Warframe be up for Ongoing Game. As a relatively new player, I’ve been consistently impressed by the care and attention the game receives from its developers. Ahead of The Old Peace’s release, I spoke with Creative Director Rebb Ford about whether being overlooked by award institutions like the Game Awards affects Digital Extremes. Figure 1 shows Warframe Misses Out on Game Awards, but Its Developer Doesn’t Mind.

“Do we watch the nominations every year? Yes. Do we ever expect to be nominated? The answer is no,” Ford said. “It's a little hard to cognitively operate in a way that you want to be award-worthy. We’d rather just do right by our community. And I am 100% sure all the other games in these nominations do. Everyone wants to do right by their community.”

There were only five nominees for Ongoing Game this year, making the category highly competitive. At the awards, Hello Games took home the Ongoing Game prize for No Man’s Sky, while Larian Studios won Community Support for Baldur’s Gate 3—both feel like deserving winners. Hello games has spent years refining No Man’s Sky, much to the delight of its fans, and Larian wrapped up updates for Baldur’s Gate 3 this year, allowing the studio to shift focus to its upcoming Divinity project.

Other nominees included Fortnite—a solid game, but likely included more for its global reach than critical acclaim—and Marvel Rivals, which faced major developer layoffs despite significant success.

“I don't think Path of Exile has ever been nominated, and I know how hard those teams work and everything,” Ford said. “It’s just the reality of the prestige angle of the business. We’re probably not seen as prestigious in the eyes of the industry at large. We can be janky at times. We do things very much our own way.”

Still, Digital Extremes attends The Game Awards each year and usually makes a memorable appearance onstage. Last year, they announced the release date for the 1999 expansion, and this year they showcased a sizzle reel featuring Werner Herzog, embodying the Indifference, narrating the plot of Warframe in his gravelly, menacing voice—which, by the way, made perfect sense!

“Do we still go every year? Absolutely. Do we have the best time? Of course,” Ford said. “It’s a blast. And it’s kind of pressure-free for us since we’re there on our own dime—we’re just having fun.”

Source: Polygon

Cite this article:

Priyadharshini S (2025), The Game Awards May Overlook Warframe, but Its Developer Isn’t Bothered, AnaTechMaz, pp.368