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Warframe: 1999 is not a new release. It went live on PC on December 13, 2024 as PC Update 38, so it has been available for almost two years as of October 2026. The update brings the Hex, a six-member group of Protoframes, a new location called Höllvania, and an optional romance and relationship system run through the KIM messaging app. Romance is not required to finish the story, but one related requirement does apply to a specific Hex Syndicate rank, which is covered below.
What “live” means for Warframe: 1999
The update’s official patch notes are dated December 13, 2024 and list it as PC Update 38. Anyone searching for a 2026 launch is looking at a date that does not match the official record. If you are reading about the update in late 2026, treat it as an established part of the game rather than a new drop. Console availability, regional rollouts and any later changes to the content are outside what this article covers, so check the official Warframe channels for current platform details.
What Warframe: 1999 is
Warframe: 1999 is a story and content update built around a late-1990s setting. The official materials name the update after that year and place it in Höllvania. The “Y2K vibes” in the headline are a cultural shorthand for that retro, turn-of-the-millennium feel. The official sources do not present the update as a documentary about the Y2K computing scare, and nothing in them defines a formal aesthetic category. Think of the Y2K framing as a mood the update borrows, not a historical account the game is telling.
How to start the update
The update’s main storyline begins with the cinematic quest The Hex. Quest progress is what unlocks everything else in the update, so the order matters.
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- Reach Höllvania. Completing The Hex opens access to Höllvania, along with its missions and systems.
- Meet the Hex Syndicate. The Syndicate becomes available after the quest, and its ranks are where the relationship requirements come into play.
- Open the Pom-2 in your Orbiter. This is the device you use to reach KIM and chat with each Hex member.
What the update adds
The patch notes describe a wide list of additions. The ones most players will notice first are:
- Höllvania, the new location, with its own missions.
- New enemy factions encountered in those missions.
- The Hex Syndicate, with ranks that tie into the relationship system.
- The Pom-2 and the KIM relationship system.
- Cyte-09, new weapons, the Atomicycle, and the Caliber Chicks 2 arcade game.
The notes list more than these. For a quick check on what matters most, the Höllvania missions, the Hex Syndicate and KIM are the systems that shape the rest of the update.
How the romance system works
Digital Extremes described the system in its November 29, 2024 announcement as its first “Romance & Relationship System”, and the final patch notes confirm how it operates. KIM stands for Kinemantik Instant Messaging. Through the Pom-2 in your Orbiter, you chat with each Hex member.
Rank #2
Chemistry
Your relationship with each Protoframe is tracked as Chemistry. According to the official notes, you raise it by:
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- gifting items to them, and
- running bounties with them.
Chemistry ranks unlock more personal conversations. Dating dialogue becomes available after each member’s own threshold, so the number of steps needed differs between Protoframes.
Friendship and dating
The system supports platonic friendship as well as dating. Staying platonic is a valid choice and does not stop your Chemistry from progressing. Players can date only one Hex member at a time. To pursue a different member, you must end the current relationship first.
Rank #3
- Lex Prime Warframe
- No moving parts
Is romance required?
No. Romance is optional. The one requirement that touches the relationship system is separate from dating, and the table below shows how the two differ.
| Option | What it involves | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Platonic friendship with Hex members | Chat, gifts and bounties raise Chemistry without dating | Optional |
| Dating one Hex member | Unlocks dating dialogue after that member’s Chemistry threshold; one member at a time | Optional |
| Being Liked by every Protoframe | Required to reach Hex Syndicate Rank 4 | Required for that rank only |
The table shows the key distinction: the Liked requirement for Hex Syndicate Rank 4 concerns Chemistry standing with all Protoframes, not whether you date anyone. A player who never dates can still meet that requirement, and a player who dates one member is not thereby qualified for the rank.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallPre-release announcement versus final patch notes
The November 29, 2024 announcement said that the date threshold varies by Protoframe and mentioned a New Year’s Eve kiss as one possible outcome. That was a description of the concept before release. The December 13, 2024 patch notes are the authoritative record for how the calendar timing and the system actually work, so use them when the two differ.
Rank #4
- Size: 24x36 inch
- High Quality Poster Print
- Easy to frame and makes a great gift too
- Brand New Item Never before displayed or used, Great Collectible
- Great Wall D¨¦cor
Official quotes
From the official PC Update 38 patch notes dated December 13, 2024: “The time has come for you to step into Höllvania and meet The Hex, Tenno!”
From the Warframe announcement “Seeking The Hex,” dated November 29, 2024: “For the first time ever, we’ve developed an intricate “Romance & Relationship System” allowing you to take your relationship with The Hex in some intriguing new directions!”
Official merchandise
If you want something physical tied to the update, the official Warframe Store lists The LINE x WARFRAME: 1999 T-Shirt and Hex Protoframe plushes. The official TennoCon 2026 merchandise announcement also names the collaboration shirt and Hex plush. Prices and stock change, so check the store directly before buying. This article has not confirmed whether third-party retailers such as Amazon carry these items, so do not assume a listing elsewhere is authorised.
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