TennoCon is an annual event Warframe a fan conference that brings together as many members of the community as possible to celebrate the game they all love. However, the event is held in Canada, which is incredibly far away for a significant portion of the 80 million fan base that developer Digital Extremes boasts for the game.
For a long time I wasn’t sure, Warframe. I downloaded it as soon as it came out, played it a bit, and decided not to touch it again for years because it didn’t impress me. I managed to get it back in 2023. Duviri’s paradox and fell in love with its incredibly weird universe, its intense story, and its welcoming community.
But no matter how much I played, read, and talked about the game, I never felt like I could justify attending TennoCon. I didn’t really feel like a “true” fan, and therefore worthy of showing up alongside those who have sunk thousands of hours into the solar system and beyond. Well, this year I was able to attend TennoCon 2024, and I want to dispel the same thoughts that everyone else has.
TennoCon is worth it if you like Warframeand that’s enough
The theme of TennoCon 2024 was Warframe: 1999this year’s upcoming expansion, but it was so much more than that. The day before the conference officially started, it opened to press, content partners, and VIP ticket holders, but that really just meant we got to see everything the day before and operate the private Vent Kids Club House section.
But the magic happens outside the VIP area. VIP Night is a time to meet and greet Digital Extremes’ amazing team of developers, including: WarframeCreative Director Rebb Ford and Chief Community Officer Megan EveretT.
Something I noticed as more and more fans arrived was that there just wasn’t enough room for everyone, so Rebb and Megan went outside to meet up in an open air setting where everyone could come and see them. I don’t know about you, but for me, there’s nothing better than meeting the people who work on my favorite games. Everyone, and I mean everyone, from Digital Extremes has been to TennoCon 2024 and they all had time for photos and chats with fans. That alone makes it worth coming to.
The VIP night included a DJ performance featuring all kinds of Warframe music, including a rendition of “We All Lift,” which everyone sang along to and moved me. It also gives early access to the Vent Kids Club House, but all ticket holders have access to the Vent Kids Club House on the other two days of the conference.
The place was decorated with slot machines that were in free play mode, so you could play game after game for free and win tickets. These tickets were used to exchange exclusive goodie bags filled with awesome goodies. Some people I know have completely destroyed the economy for this because Warframe players min/max everything. Sorry if you had to pay 1000 tickets for a bag.
There was also a Necraloid animatronic asking fans incredibly challenging quiz questions and a series of gacha machines. Everyone got five tokens for these machines, which gave away a replica Relic from one of several rarities. Inside were pins, and the idea was that you should trade pins with others to get a full set of five. Most people just bought more tokens to get more rolls on the machines, which I guess is just how gacha machines work.
But I want to say that these actions were aimed at Warframe fans to interact with each other. Even if your only interaction is sitting at a merch booth waiting for the pin you want, you’ve connected with someone who is potentially halfway around the world.
The entire conference was prepared to engage with fans. The main building featured replicas of various parts Warframesuch as the metro from Whispers in the wallsand even Arthur from Warframe: 1999complete with a spinning sword. Every part of the conference was designed to make fans stop and admire something, maybe take a picture with it and create memories.
Of course, TennoCon is nothing without a large devstream show and a ton of surprises. This year was especially special, and not just because we got anime news, a sneak peek at Soul Frameand the infected boy band.
Digital Extremes took time out of their devstream that is usually reserved for discussing games and content packages they sell to aid stay afloat in order to fulfill someone’s wish. James Conlin, a youthful man with a terminal illness, was revealed as a voice actor in Warframe: 1999 because the creator wanted to fulfill his dream of becoming one and having fans. Everyone in the room screamed and clapped, and I get emotional writing this again as I recall that moment.
Digital Extremes didn’t have to include this in their dev stream. It could have been posted on social media or revealed during a standard dev stream. Instead, because of what Warframe what the community is and how it works for anyone who wants to be a part of it, the news comes ahead of the gameplay demo for what is arguably the most anticipated expansion for the game to date.
It was this, combined with everyone’s reaction, that showed me the true value Warframe community and why TennoCon is such a fantastic event to attend. Everyone is, to put it mildly, nice. It’s more than just the Canadian politeness that comes with being in Canada. There were people from all over the world at this event and no one had a bad time.
This is a place where you get to meet game developers who don’t act like they’re above you, you get to learn the most crucial things about your favorite game, you get to know all the things you didn’t expect, and you get treated like a member of the family.
I have to say that TennoCon is just the beginning of TennoCon, if you know what I mean. The positive attitude and friendliness of the community means that you can go and meet other gamers in London, Ontario, Canada long after each day is over.
Some of us went to the little TCG store to buy some books and cards, some to play more arcade games, and then we all met up at the hotel to just hang out. I guess I definitely felt like gaming conferences always ended with us going out for drinks and getting lost in a strange city. Everyone at TennoCon just wants to have a good time, and sometimes that means sitting down in the evening for a coffee and playing Warframe on your phones.
TennoCon is something special
There were two times I know of during TennoCon 2024 that someone made a proposal. The first was on VIP night in front of the awesome neon wing photo booth, where the wings were briefly changed to pride colors. The second was on Saturday during the cosplay contest, and I think she was on stage in front of everyone.
That showed me more than any other moment during the event that this is something special for the fans. It means so much to them that they want this and the people involved to be a part of the biggest parts of their lives. I know of very few games that have earned the same respect from fans, and even fewer that are free to play as Warframe.
To answer this question: Is TennoCon worth it? I think so, if you like Warframe. I didn’t have 100 hours when I went there, but I still felt like I was best friends with people who had played for 3,000 hours. Everyone is in this game and at TennoCon for the community. We all want to come together to celebrate this thing that brought us so much joy over the years, months, even weeks that we played it.
Of course there is the issue of cost. I can’t speak to each person’s circumstances, but to me the tickets themselves seem quite reasonable. I feel that travel and hotel costs were taken into account, especially considering how many freebies were offered to all fans, not just VIP ticket holders.
I like to think about TennoCon and Warframe like a good road trip. Like the road trips that many fans have taken to be there. They are a journey, an experience that you have on the way from a starting point to a destination. Every moment is personal, even if you share it with friends. But every moment is also unique and special in its own way. They will stay with you because all of them, every step you take, every mission you play, and every developer you meet, are positive experiences that feel legitimate, and that is so demanding to achieve.
