What Engine Does Warframe Use?

Last Updated on October 17, 2022

Warframe is a free to play third-person cooperative shooter published by Digital Extremes.

Founded by James Schmalz, the game has been running on the Evolution engine since its debut in 2013.

Evolution is Digital Extremes’ propriety engine, used for developing their current rotation of games.

The engine is constantly updated to keep up with the latest graphical demands and currently is supported by most gaming hardware.


Does Warframe Use Unreal Engine?

No. Warframe uses Digital Extremes’ propriety Evolution engine.

However, Unreal Engine was created by one of the brains behind Warframe today, James Schmalz.

Under the Digital Extremes name, he and his team paired up with Epic Games to co-develop the first iteration of the Unreal engine in 1998.

During his stint as an Unreal developer, Schmalz has developed several notable games and was even accoladed for some of his releases. Some of these games include:

  • Unreal (1998)
  • Unreal Championship
  • Unreal Tournament 2003
  • Unreal Tournament 2004

Over his tenure working for Unreal, he has sold over 15 million units worldwide across several gaming platforms, including the PC, Mac, PS2, Nintendo Wii, Xbox, and Dreamcast.


Does The Evolution Engine Frequently Update?

The engine is frequently updated to meet the needs of Warframe and add new content for users to experience.

For example, major updates that have been released in recent times include:

  • Call of the Tempestarii
  • The New War
  • Echoes of War

For up-to-date Warframe updates, click here to visit the main website that announces new updates.


What Games Run In the Evolution Engine?

Currently, there are a few games that run in the Evolution engine. These include:

  • The Darkness II
  • Star Trek 2013
  • Warframe
  • BioShock
  • BioShock 2

In addition to the aforementioned games, DE continues to update the Warframe title with new content frequently.


What Awards Has Digital Extremes Achieved?

With 25 years of industry experience under their belt, Digital Extremes have gained the following awards with their engine.

  • Best Not So Massively Game of 2018
  • People’s Voice Award for Best Action Game 2018
  • Steam Labor of Love Award 2017
  • Best Ongoing Game Nomination 2017
  • Most Improved Game of 2017

Visit our Warframe site or Digital Extremes for more information.