With TennoCon 2023 just around the corner, it’s hard for me to not think about the cool cosplay costumes that folks will be showing off — especially since we haven’t had an in-person meet since 2019! It is amazing how fans bring the various Warframe fashions to life. Just which skins will show up as costumes? I cannot wait to see; there are certainly plenty to choose from. (I personally really want to see Duviri Teshin’s bunny a.k.a rablit, Lua!)
And the reason we have so many cosplay options is that there are so many different skins, bunches of accessories, and oodles colors palettes to choose from in game — with more arriving all the time. A number of items are even fan-created with TennoGen. All of these also lend to an alternate type of gameplay that plenty of players partake in: Fashion ‘Framing.
Believe it or not, not all gameplay in Warframe involves shooting things or parkour; there is also downtime amid all the fast-paced action. As fun as obliterating enemies and leaping, sliding, and wall-walking through missions are, decking out your war machine, operator, or drifter in style is also a well-known use of in-game time for space ninjas. And who better to sit down and chat about this topic than a legend of Fashion ‘Framing herself, Community Director Megan Everett?
Everett’s vibrant color schemes and eclectic in-game wardrobe are iconic within the community. Our conversation included her favorite ‘frames, ways to get involved in the community of Fashion ‘Framing, the new kaithe cosmetics, dressing operators vs. drifters, and more. Of course, I had to ask what she’d like to see arrive live at TennoCon, too!
What is Fashion Framing?
There’s no denying that fashion has an impact in Warframe. As Everett said, “Honestly, sometimes the fashion alone, or the aesthetic of a ‘frame or a weapon is actually what pulls people in to trying it out.”
But “Fashion ‘Framing” is specific. A term coined by the community itself, it describes the art of personally customizing warframes (which of course grew to pets, operators, drifters, and now kaithe as each was introduced to the game). It’s all about coming up with personal style. It can be as simple as just dressing your warframes how you like while you adventure to the intricacies of developing original characters complete with backstories and sharing those with the community. Everett called the aspect of fashion customization a calming balance to the fast-paced gameplay.
Because it’s a community-led aspect of the game, players who want to get more involved can do so through a number of avenues, from gathering in relays to posting and sharing to joining a fashion-focused dojo. Everett noted that players share their artwork and stories on social media, organize fashion shows in their dojos, and showcase creatively themed warframes such as pirates and gundams.
Of course, some players also gather in relays to showcase their outfits or seek inspiration. Everett stated that during Prime Time streams, she and Creative Director Rebecca Ford try to always visit a relay to highlight and admire player creations.
So what happens if you are in game and you see a fashion you really like? Everett explained that if you can use Look Link. This feature allows players to share their customized warframe details with others without having to list everything out. Just ask a player, and he or she can send the Look Link into chat for any ‘frame or weapon. Not only can they see and read what all a player used, but Everett reminded me you can actually click apply looks and use the color scheme yourself! (To get to your own Look Link, go to the appearance tab of any equipment or pet in your arsenal and click on the link symbol in the upper right corner.) If you don’t see one you like in use, you can mash the randomize button on the color palette to create new combinations.
As frivolous as it may seem on the surface, Everett notes that Fashion ‘Framing is serious business, and the devs take it to heart when creating content. In fact, she noted how DE approaches cosmetics changes as a result of this emergent community dynamic. She said the studio initially put cosmetics in the game just because that’s what a lot of games do. However, after watching the community run with it and develop the “Fashion ‘Frame is endgame” idea, the team ensured cosmetics became more of a focus.
“It is because of them that we experiment the way we do with the cosmetics that we introduce,” she told me.
“We know how serious people take Fashion ‘Framing. There’re times when we need to even update a texture on a warframe or something and it affects people’s fashion, we even make a point to put in the patch notes, ‘This might make your warframe look different. We’re sorry.'”
A style icon shares favorite ‘frames
Everett is a natural person to discuss Fashion ‘Framing with; she’s known as a style icon in the Warframe community. However, she emphasized the importance of finding one’s own style in the game. She also personally finds inspiration from other’s Fashion ‘Frames posted online. That said, she does tend to stick to a very specific color arrangement regardless of her chosen equipment, even if it admittedly doesn’t quite fit as nicely as she’d like. Her preferred color scheme of blue, green, pink, and white is an in-joke of official livestreams! She mused that her style is almost an infested color palette.
Everett also shared with me a triumphant fashion memory: During one community stream, she and Ford competed for fan votes on which had the more appealing design for several warframes. Ford’s outfits won over and over again – until the Wisps were modeled. In this case, the audience preferred Everett’s aesthetic, a fact that she is still proud of.
A style icon is sure to have favorite skins in game, regardless of whether the ‘frames are the favorites to play. (I find that I fall in love with playing a ‘frame after first being drawn to its appearance!) For favorites, Everett mentioned the TennoGen skins created by players on Steam, such as Faven’s design. She also likes:
- Gauss’ Agito TennoGen and Graxx skins
- Grineer Hunter skins
- Zephyr’s Harrier skin
- Nezha’s Imperium skin (flaming skulls!)
- Valkyr’s Mithra skin and its Prime version
- Wisp’s Somnium Deluxe skin
Cosplay: Fashion ‘Framing brought to life
Decorating your Warframe in the game is one thing, but it is a totally different feeling seeing it live. Cosplay is essentially bringing Fashion ‘Framing to life. Everett shared a very fond memory of the cosplay contest at the first TennoCon, explaining that the cosplay show then was just a simple idea for introducing on stage anyone who might have dressed up.
However, she was blown away when called to start the show because there was “a massive sea of people in cosplay.” Everett described how folks showed up with their frames sporting their custom color schemes and personal loadouts. “That’s kind of like the evolution of Fashion ‘Frame,” she said. “Where someone loves it and takes [to] that next level and actually makes it in real life.”
I asked Everett what she’d most like to see portrayed live in the cosplay contest at TennoCon. Her most desired look is the Zephyr Harrier Deluxe skin — not only because it would be one of the most challenging but also because it’s just an exciting ‘Frame to witness in person. This skin would see a warframe in a puffer jacket with airplane wings and graffiti prints.
Additionally warframes she’d like to see include the Nidus Phryke Deluxe skin (she described as “disgusting in a very cool way, which [she’s] a very big fan of”) and the Baruuk Doan Deluxe skin (with its multiple arms, goat legs, and an alien-like head it “looks so ridiculous in the best way possible”). She added, “It would be so hard to do, but if I could see it in real life, I’d probably faint!”
Which warframe would Everett cosplay herself if she could? Apparently, she has a crush on Mathila from The Duviri Paradox, loving her whole character design and her toxic happiness. She said, “I’d love to be good at cosplay and be able to pull that off.” Hopefully we’ll see some Duviri cosplay at TennoCon, if not this year than next.
Styles of operators, drifters, and kaithe
Player equipment isn’t the only thing that gets the Fashion ‘Frame treatment; companions also do. The newly introduced kaithe mounts have their own new fashion feature with the recent launch of the 7 Crimes of Kullervo update. Players can now customize their kaithe with coronets, glowing halo designs that float over the mount’s head. Perhaps come Halloween, Everett teased, there might be a headless kaithe skin for the season. (Yes, please!) Sadly, Look Link doesn’t exist for companions, but Everett likes the idea of kaithe Look Links being introduced in the future so players might someday share their kaithe color schemes.
Speaking of making new cosmetics, I learned that contrary to my thoughts, operator and drifter cosmetics can be challenging compared to warframes. Everett explained that typically, a lot of the warframes have the same body form, from height to girth, so making cosmetic accessories fit individual frames just needs a touch up. Operators and drifters are different, however, as there are four different mesh models sizes, so outfits for drifters and operators aren’t interchangeable. Everett explained that due to the human models being different sizes (younger child vs. older grownup, male vs. female), each piece must be created individually for both. In fact, she described how in some cases, the devs have encountered a bug as operator skins are applied to drifters and vice versa, causing the player model size to shrink and grow.
Future fashion gameplay
Is there a possibility for fashion to intermix with actual gameplay? I asked Everett about the idea, musing that it could be interesting to have missions for collecting so many outfits or some such. Although that does not exist, Everett did talk about a few cosmetic ephemera that require players to do certain things to evolve them. She explained that as they evolve, they get bigger and more ornate. However, players will still have access to the earlier versions as they evolve, in case they prefer an earlier look. This happens by getting a new version every time it evolves instead of changing the original piece.
Secrets of the Orowym
OK, so the Orowyrm of The Duviri Paradox doesn’t have much to do with fashion, but how can I pass up the chance to learn other little tidbits about Warframe from Everett while I’m with her? And the most interesting one was content that was actually cut from The Duviri Paradox, a fact I am so very sad about: She told me that players could control the Orowym and actually raze cities with it! Unfortunately, that content was scrapped because of stability issues. Maybe someday we can have a special event or area where we can actually ride — and fashion ‘frame — our very own Orowym. A space ninja can dream!
Pick a ‘Frame, any ‘Frame! The Warframe galaxy is in danger, Tenno, and Space Mom needs help to combat it. Are you in the right Warframe of Mind to join in? MJ Guthrie has enlisted; she suits up in her favorite ‘Frames biweekly to fight the good fight, blasting the Grineer and Infected into smithereens.
