TL;DR: Warframe launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on March 25, 2026 — running at 1080p 60fps in both handheld and docked modes with Joy-Con Mouse Mode support. The launch coincides with The Shadowgrapher, the game’s first major update of 2026 and its 13th anniversary celebration. Highlights include Follie, the 64th Warframe, a new 4v1 asymmetric survival horror mode called Follie’s Hunt (Warframe’s take on Dead by Daylight), sweeping Clan social features, a new Atragraph foil card Mod cosmetic system, and the limited-time Operation: Atramentum event (April 2–23). New Switch 2 players can earn the exclusive Ambimanus Pack by logging in between March 25 and April 15.
The wait is finally over for Nintendo Switch 2 owners. After months of anticipation following Digital Extremes CEO Steve Sinclair’s July 2025 comments about being “excited” to push the console to its limits, Warframe has a confirmed Switch 2 launch date: March 25, 2026. The announcement came during Devstream 193 on March 2, confirming that the game’s arrival on Nintendo’s latest hardware will coincide with The Shadowgrapher — the free-to-play shooter’s first major update of 2026 and its 13th anniversary celebration.
It’s a double launch that makes March 25 one of the more significant dates on the Warframe calendar this year.
Warframe on Switch 2: The Technical Specs
The Switch 2 version of Warframe will run at a locked 60fps at 1080p resolution across both handheld and docked modes, with improved load times, textures, and shader quality. For players who experienced the original Switch version — which launched in 2018 and remained a notably compromised port — the upgrade represents a substantial leap in fidelity and performance.
Warframe on Nintendo Switch 2 will also support Mouse Mode on the Joy-Con 2 controller, enabling players to navigate menus and aim down weapon sights in combat. This makes Warframe one of the higher-profile titles to support Switch 2’s distinctive Joy-Con mouse functionality at launch, giving PC-style precision aiming to console players for the first time in the franchise’s Switch history.
Exclusive Login Reward: The Ambimanus Pack
To celebrate the launch on Switch 2, all players who log in to Warframe on the console from March 25 to April 15 will earn the exclusive Ambimanus Pack, which includes the Vericres Warfan weapon, the Akomeogi Warfan weapon skin, the Slicing Feathers Stance Mod, and Affinity and Credit boosters. The window runs three weeks, giving new and returning players plenty of time to claim the free bundle.
The Shadowgrapher: Everything in the Update
The Switch 2 launch is just one half of March 25. The Shadowgrapher arrives simultaneously across all platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and now Switch 2 — as a free standalone update. Community Director Megan Everett framed it as both a content update and a quality-of-life overhaul: “The Old Peace was the most successful update we’ve ever released, and we’ve had such a blast watching our community create some iconic moments together these past few months. The Shadowgrapher introduces some eerily excellent new content, but it’s also full of some essential overhauls to continue refining Warframe’s overall quality of life.”
Follie: The 64th Warframe
The Shadowgrapher introduces Follie as the game’s 64th playable Warframe, armed with a reality-blending, ink-based arsenal of abilities. She is both the new playable character and the antagonist of the update’s signature game mode. One of her abilities lets players spread whimsy by force — attaching inky balloons to all enemies within range, lifting them into the air with the Inkblot debuff and leaving them primed for target practice. In combat, Follie can also disappear into an inky canvas and reappear to inflict the Inkblot debuff on nearby enemies.
Follie’s Hunt: Warframe’s Take on Dead by Daylight
The centrepiece of The Shadowgrapher is Follie’s Hunt — Warframe’s interpretation of the 4v1 asymmetric multiplayer survival horror match type, popularised by games like Dead by Daylight and Identity V.
Four players band together to avoid the inky grasp of Follie, who stalks players and reacts to the allied team’s actions. Players must complete unfinished paintings scattered around the ruins of the Vesper Relay by seeking out pools of colored ink and transferring them to canvases. Each match features modifiers that randomise mission hazards and enemy effects, and Follie gains shorter ability cooldowns — becoming more aggressive — with every canvas the players complete.
The structure rewards team coordination: finish paintings too quickly and Follie becomes almost impossible to escape. Dawdle and you risk being hunted down before the objective is met. It’s a tension loop that fits comfortably alongside Dead by Daylight’s generator repair framework while keeping the identity entirely Warframe.
Atragraphs: Foil Card Mod Cosmetics
The Shadowgrapher introduces a new cosmetic system for Mods called Atragraphs — alternate art with an animated frame, designed in the style of traditional foil trading cards. The update will introduce 10 different Atragraphs to earn, with more planned for future updates. It’s a collectible-minded addition that gives long-time players a new layer of progression and personalisation beyond raw gameplay rewards.
Clan Overhaul: Social Features Across the Board
The Shadowgrapher delivers one of the most substantial Clan feature updates in recent memory. New social additions include Clan and Friend List specific UI mission markers, resource bonus rewards after missions completed with Clanmates, Clan-only matchmaking, weekly Clan missions, Clan merging functionality, and Clan-specific cosmetics including a group emote and Clan Glyph.
The Clan merging feature in particular has been a frequently requested addition, giving smaller communities the ability to combine rather than fragment as player counts shift across the game’s long lifespan.
Operation: Atramentum (April 2–23)
Beyond the immediate March 25 content, The Shadowgrapher also introduces a limited-time event called Operation: Atramentum, which runs from April 2 to April 23, offering new cosmetic rewards alongside items from past Operations. The event gives returning players a chance to catch up on previously missed seasonal content while giving active players new targets to chase.
TennoCon 2026: Mark Your Calendars
TennoCon 2026 — the annual two-day celebration of all things Warframe and Soulframe — returns to Digital Extremes’ hometown of London, Ontario on July 10–11, 2026. Day One (Friday, July 10) will offer a cosplay contest, early merchandise sales, and autograph signings, concluding with the TennoConcert at Canada Life Place. Day Two (Saturday, July 11) will feature panels on art, music, and narrative, a Soulframe keynote, and TennoLive — the main event Warframe keynote presentation. Tickets are on sale now via Eventbrite, and all ticket holders receive the TennoCon 2026 Digital Pack containing in-game cosmetics, emotes, skins, and 475 Platinum.
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