Warframe’s last prime frame, Sevagoth, was released in late August, so it’s likely we’ll see another one before the year’s out. (Probably somewhere around when Warframe: 1999 drops.) But who’s coming next? Sevagoth marked a major change in the release cadence of prime frames, which has led many to speculate that Xaku Prime will be the next addition to Warframe.
People are still digesting the Koumei & the Five Fates update like the new frame or the tons of QOL added, but others are looking toward the future. Xaku would be the first non-binary prime Warframe, which would explain why Sevagoth changed how prime frames release. So, here’s everything you need to know about Warframe’s next prime frame.
Sevagoth changed how prime frames are added to Warframe
Since 2012, developer Digital Extremes has stuck to a Male-Male-Female-Female release cadence for prime Warframes. This, in part, explains why precisely when new frames get added to the game doesn’t exactly predict the date their prime counterpart will come out.
However, Sevagoth, the last prime Warframe released, changed this cadence, making the sequence go Male-Male-Female-Male for the first time since the game’s launch. It may not sound like a big deal, but changing a pattern that’s been kept up for over a decade is worth some thought.
Here are all the Warframes released since 2023:
- Sevagoth Prime, Male, August 2024
- Protea Prime, Female, May 2024
- Gauss Prime, Male, January 2024
- Grendel Prime, Male, October 2023
- Wisp Prime, Female, July 2023
- Hildryn Prime, Female, March 2023
Digital Extremes hasn’t elaborated on why this has changed, nor have they announced what’s coming next, but that’s nothing unusual. While there may not be an official explanation, there is an unofficial one: Digital Extremes is setting up Xaku to be Warframe’s next prime frame.
Why Xaku could be Warframe’s next prime frame
Canonically, Xaku is a non-binary Warframe, the first in Warframe history. What’s more is that Xaku was the next Warframe introduced after Protea, making 2024 about when you’d expect to see Xaku Prime released. However, a Male-Male-Female-Female release schedule complicates things.
It makes sense that Digital Extremes wouldn’t want to release Xaku in a traditionally male or female slot. But with the release of Sevagoth Prime, the next Warframe could be either male or female, considering that the pattern’s been broken, and this makes it the perfect time to drop a Xaku Prime.
Although, since there aren’t more non-binary frames just yet, as well as the fact that if Xaku is next there will only have been one female frame released from late 2023 through early 2025, the pattern would likely be reestablished after Xaku Prime, meaning the following release schedule:
- Caliban Prime, Male, Early 2026
- Lavos Prime, Male, Late 2025
- Gyre Prime, Female, Mid 2025
- Yareli Prime, Female, Early 2025
- Xaku Prime, Non-Binary, Late 2024
Some members of the community point out that a release schedule like the above would mean Lavos getting the short end of the stick, since he released right after Xaku (and before Sevagoth), but if Digital Extremes does plan to return things to normal after Xaku, this is the most likely order.
Why Xaku might not be Warframe’s next prime frame
On the other side of things, some argue that Xaku’s lore makes it impossible for them to get a prime version. Though this would be the first Warframe that didn’t get a prime counterpart, Xaku’s position in the lore is undoubtedly unique, particularly in terms of how they were created.
Instead of being created by the Orokin, Xaku was created after three Warframes lost in the Void fused together. So, Xaku isn’t a traditional Warframe, if they’re even a ‘Warframe’ in the traditional sense of the word when it comes to the lore, meaning a Xaku Prime might not make sense.
However, others have pointed out that another Warframe, Revenant, wasn’t created by the Orokin either, but there’s a Revenant Prime in the game. It would certainly be unusual if Xaku didn’t get a prime counterpart, but the release of Sevagoth Prime is already a departure from the norm.
Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see what Digital Extremes does at the end of the year when we can reasonably expect the release of another prime frame, so keep your eyes peeled.
