Warframe's Jade Shadows Constellations update has arrived, reviving one of the game's most beloved quests

Having played through almost the entirety of Warframe‘s extensive story, there are some quests that just hit different. The ominous Chains of Harrow; the cinematic New War: while Digital Extremes’ space RPG requires a pretty hefty grind, its story pays dividends. Jade Shadows was another one of those quests: a tragic tale of loss that, while sci-fi in nature, resonates with players across the Origin System. As a woman, it’s one that’s particularly meaningful: no spoilers here, but it deals with topics that are inherently feminine, and are often left out of the wider videogame world.

Jade Shadows: Constellations is a follow-up to the 2024 quest of the same name, and it deals directly with the Stalker – the vengeful assassin who’s spent his time hunting you – and his two children, Sirius and Orion. Adding the duo as a singular, feuding Warframe, you can flit between them both on the fly, with full customization available for each character, and unique scythes to boot. My colleague Ken did a fantastic roundup of their abilities here, and they’ll be available to play as soon as the update drops.

While Sirus and Orion are, of course, the headliners here, there are two new Protoframes in the mix as well. If you haven’t reached 1999 yet, Protoframes are effectively the ‘human’ versions of Warframes – they’ve been injected with the Helminth strain, but haven’t fully completed their transition into Warframes.

We’ve seen fan-favorites Excalibur, Wisp, and Harrow all get the Protoframe treatment, but now we can add Ash and Garuda to the list. The stealthy assassin is reimagined as a hooded, masked figure called Ryoku, while Garuda becomes a dreadlocked, pierced nightmare in the form of Vena. As a longtime Wytch fan, I can confirm that I am squealing right now.

Both Protoframes will influence the Constellations story: Ash whispers in the ear of Sirius, while Garuda mentors Orion, with the former taking on his mother’s compassion, while the latter embraces the violence. You’ll have to choose which side you’re on, then undertake a series of new, multiplayer-focused Railjack missions. I can hear the sighs of anguish from here, but Creative Director Rebecca Ford promises a more “story-driven” experience, with no Archwing mode to equal things out. Both Ryoku and Vena’s ships have their own unique bells and whistles, though, so you’re not missing out too much.

Speaking of new things, Vectis (the sniper rifle) and Stug (the auto-pistol) are getting Incarnon variants. The former now launches spheres that deal damage over time, or causes an AoE explosion if you score a headshot, while the latter spawns bouncing spheres that radiate outwards from their target to deal AoE damage. There are two new Arcanes, Sculptor and Compression, and new Augments for Dante, Koumei, Nokko, and Temple.

If you want to get into the spirit of Ryoku and Veca, their hairstyles will also be available for your Operator or Drifter. Styanax Prime has also arrived, if you’re looking for something a little more gladiatorial.

Warframe’s Jade Shadows: Constellations quest is live now, as is access to Styanax Prime. You can check out the full rundown here, and don’t forget to grab your free Orion and Sirius-inspired color palettes. All you have to do is choose a side via the official website, and the rewards will be sent to your inbox.

Post-Constellations, all eyes are now primed (pun intended) on TennoCon, where we’ll find out more about our future adventures on Tau. It’s an exciting time; Warframe never seeks to surprise me, and saw an impressive influx of players with The Old Peace update. The Tau storyline has its hooks in me; I want to know what happens next. But, for now, Constellations is more than enough to keep me going (and probably crying, if Jade Shadows was anything to go by).