Warframe Launches on Switch 2 This March, Brings Dead by Daylight-Style Mode to All Platforms

Digital Extremes has confirmed Warframe will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on March 25, 2026, arriving alongside the game's latest major update, The Shadowgrapher, which rolls out across all platforms on the same date.

The Switch 2 version runs at 1080p and 60 frames per second in both handheld and docked modes. Digital Extremes has also improved load times, texture quality, and shader rendering compared to the original Switch port. The build supports Switch 2's mouse mode, letting players use the right Joy-Con face down during gameplay and menus.

The road to this release stretched across eight months. In July 2025, CEO Steve Sinclair told the press at TennoCon that the studio was still waiting on a developer kit from Nintendo before it could begin a dedicated build.

"Our tech team is so excited to take advantage of the high-speed cores and the other really cool features of it, there's just such a backlog for dev kits," Sinclair said at the time. "When we get a dev kit we'll be doing a custom build for Warframe, absolutely."

— Steve Sinclair

The wait ended. I see the Switch 2 version as a meaningful upgrade over the backward-compatible Switch 1 port that Switch 2 owners have relied on in the interim — the performance targets and native feature support make it a substantively different product.

The Shadowgrapher update's headline addition is Follie's Hunt, a 4v1 asymmetric multiplayer mode positioned as Warframe's take on survival horror. Four players attempt to complete unfinished paintings scattered through the ruins of the Vesper Relay while being hunted by Follie. Each painting players finish shortens Follie's cooldowns, escalating the hunter's aggression throughout the match. Randomized modifiers alter mission hazards and enemy effects each round. Follie also joins the roster as the game's 64th playable Warframe.

The update expands Clan functionality with UI mission markers visible to Clan members and friends, resource bonuses after missions completed with Clanmates, Clan-only matchmaking, weekly Clan missions, and a Clan merging feature. New cosmetics include a group emote and a Clan Glyph. A limited-time event, Operation: Atramentum, runs April 2 to April 23 and offers new cosmetic rewards alongside items from past Operations.

Players logging into Warframe between March 25 and April 15 receive the Ambimanus Pack, which contains the Vericres Warfan weapon, the Akomeogi Warfan weapon skin, the Slicing Feathers Stance Mod, and Affinity and Credit boosters.

I think the Follie's Hunt mode signals a deliberate attempt to pull in players who might not engage with the game's core loop — asymmetric horror has demonstrated consistent audience interest, and attaching it to a free-to-play title with Warframe's install base gives it real reach.

TennoCon 2026 is scheduled for July 10 and 11 in London, Ontario. Tickets are currently available through Eventbrite.

Read also, Warframe Mobile had previously launched a Closed Beta for Android in November 2025, with Digital Extremes opening sign-ups for early access ahead of the rollout.