Digital Extremes announced Warframe: Tau during TennoCon 2026, confirming that the next major chapter for the title will arrive in Winter 2026. This update introduces the Tau system, a location players have not visited since the Old War.
Quick Facts
- Release Window: Winter 2026
- New Warframe: Brysko (67th frame), voiced by Matthew Mercer
- New Setting: The Fornax metropolis in the Tau system
- New Feature: Portau, an in-game card game
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch, and iOS
Exploring the Tau System and Fornax
The expansion shifts the game's focus to the binary star system of Tau. Players will begin their journey in Fornax, a lawless city characterized by a noir aesthetic and a permanent, heavy black rain. The narrative centers on a criminal underbelly controlled by a kingpin known as the Hunra. Players will encounter the Drowners, a new Sentient enemy faction patrolling the region.
The story unfolds from the perspective of Brysko, a noir-inspired Warframe working alongside Albrecht Entrati. Brysko is designed with a cynical, hard-boiled detective personality and utilizes an Exalted Pistol paired with specialized fist weapons for combat.
Portau Card Game
The update introduces a dedicated card game called Portau, which takes place in a casino located at the heart of Fornax. The game functions as a poker variant, featuring unique suits categorized as Blooms, Cores, Moons, and Suns. While players can engage in matches against NPCs, Digital Extremes has not yet confirmed if online play against other users will be available at launch.
Update Prerequisites
Warframe: Tau is not a standalone experience. To access the new content, players must progress through all major chapters of the game, including the upcoming Iceblade of the Narin update, which serves as a precursor to the Tau expansion.
Digital Extremes has released the official soundtrack for the expansion, titled View from the Top, and showcased 30 minutes of gameplay featuring Brysko, Fornax, and the Portau card game during their TennoCon presentation. A concrete release date for the update will be shared in future devstreams.