Digital Extremes’ free-to-play ninja simulator Warframe has entertained millions of people worldwide for nearly a decade. The third-person action game puts you in charge of powerful suits that allow you to easily tear apart waves of enemies. Think of a reverse bullet hell game where you are the bullet.
If you are contemplating diving into the game for the first time, you may be curious about how the game works. Most free-to-play games in the modern era can have a shaky reputation regarding the pay-to-win element. In this article, we will break down everything you need to know about Warframe and whether the game is pay-to-win or not.
Does Warframe have PvP?
An essential aspect of deciding if a game is pay-to-win is whether a game has a player versus player element and how spending money impacts progress and power in those modes. This is where things get interesting for Warframe. While the game has a PvP portion known as the Conclave, it is not very popular with most of the playerbase. The real attraction of Warframe is the PvE element of the game.
On top of that, the mode has some pretty strict matchmaking based on experience in the mode and some limits on what Warframes, weapons, and mods can be used to ensure fairness with regard to loadouts. There isn’t much that players can do with money when it comes to sneaking an advantage in PvP.
Related: Where to Plunder an Alad V Secret Lab in Warframe – Mad Lab Challenge
Is Warframe Pay To Win?
In our opinion, no, Warframe is not pay-to-win. As already discussed, the PvP element simply is not prominent enough and cannot be impacted by using money. On the PvE side, plenty can be done with real-world cash, thanks to the game’s premium currency, Platinum.
Platinum allows you to purchase weapons, Warframes, and boosters that will increase the number of resources you can gather. This is all important, but it doesn’t lead you to have an advantage over other players, especially players that are well informed.
Everything that can be purchased can also be earned for free, and it often doesn’t take particularly long to get your hands on new weapons and Warframes if you know where to look for them. All Warframes and weapons can be farmed at different activities in the game. This can be made even easier if you join a Clan and can combine your efforts with other players who are after the same things.
Best of all, many items in the game, such as Warframe parts, some weapons, and many of the mods, can all be traded with other players. It is possible to trade for Platinum, so if you want to farm these items and sell them to other players, you can have all the premium currency you need without spending a dime.
So, while players can use Platinum to access things faster, this currency can be earned for free if you are willing to do a little farming.
The overall verdict
We believe that Warframe is not pay-to-win in the sense that most people mean. As a free-to-play game, it does have means for players to spend some money and get some items, and it has a way to skip building time for weapons and Warframes. None of this gives you an advantage over other players, and as a cooperative game, other players tend to benefit from your power.
The best thing about Warframe is that you can download it for free, jump in for a few hours without spending a cent, and see if you like it. Remember, don’t just start spending money for no reason. Wait until you understand the game and feel you want to invest in it.
