Digital Extreme’s latest updated for Warframe is here and we got the chance to talk with Principal Artist Nikita Leshakov and Associate Art Director Marco Hasmann about the Isleweaver Update, the complexity of creating a unique spider-lady, and what it takes to ahieve Warframe’s signature and moving visual aesthetic.
Picking up after the events of Warframe: 1999, the Isleweave update introduces the 61st Warframe and a brand-new Clan Operation in addition to narrative developments. Players get to meet Major Rusalka once again and dive deeper into the Duviri but let’s be honest, we all want to know even more about Oraxia.
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To kick off the interview, I had to adress the law of video games: if spider-lady, but be hot. The rule is so ironclad that even Shelob got the spider mommy treatment, yes, the Lord of the Rings Shelob. But with so many iterations on anthropomorphic spider-women, I had to ask the Warframe art team about how they approached making sure that Oraxia stood out against the crowd.
Principal Artist Nikita Leshakov began explaining, “The first thing that I was certain of was an Orb Weaver Spider-inspired head. I painted very roughly, in low resolution. I pictured her standing in a dark space, with only her softer, more vulnerable and seductive silhouette fully visible, distracting from her predatory aspects. Some loose shapes solidified in 3D, peppered with a couple of details here and there, loosely inspired by goth fashion.”
He continued, “‘Drawing the rest of the owl’ was up to me, following the 12 or so years’ worth of reference material from our own game to properly ground her in our context, while keeping core art fundamentals in mind. It’s a pretty direct approach. Some things changed as I made the final model, mostly for the better. “Trust the process” was uttered a lot. I wasn’t happy with my design until it was about 80% done. Now I’m about 90% happy with it. I don’t know if anyone is ever 100% satisfied with their own work.”
But what’s most exciting is that Leshakov didn’t look at the landscape, and that’s what has made Oraxia so compelling. “I truthfully didn’t really look at other spider-based characters in media. I just wanted to deliver my vision sincerely and hoped that it would end up sufficiently unique in that process,” Leshakov said.
“I can sort of place myself in a player’s shoes, and what a player would want to see in a particular new update in terms of suits, weapons, and accessories, to be able to better express themselves in their play.”
But making a great 61st Warframe is only one part of the equation for Isleweaver. Warframe’s visual aesthetic is eaisly one of the reasons that has made it a video game to fall in love with. Still, iterating on that style is key to growing as a title. When asked about keeping the aesthetic intact while also bringing a fresh take in the new Isleweaver update, Leshakov said, “The key to Warframe’s art style, I think, is the power of abstraction to create uniquely impressionistic and, in some sense, minimalist imagery around well-known archetypes and concepts.”
He continued, “When it comes to player characters and their accessories, whenever it’s up to me, I try to reach for things we haven’t done before. And yeah, it sounds obvious, but I think it can be kind of hard to pull off well unless you’ve worked on something for a long time and have become really comfortable with the tools, the workflow, and the mindset.”
As with any development, understanding what makes Warframe tick is central to understanding how to add to it. Leshakov shared, “Having played the game for a while (Steam claims 3,541.6 hours as of writing this, but it’s probably wrong, actual game hours are lower than that), I think I can sort of place myself in a player’s shoes, and what a player would want to see in a particular new update in terms of suits, weapons, and accessories, to be able to better express themselves in their play.”
“When it comes to the team as a whole, I think it helps that multiple different artists get to contribute their ideas to the game, and the degree of artistic freedom we get to enjoy with the trust that our inherent weirdness will fit nicely into the ongoing canon of Warframe,” he added.
And that deep knowledge of the game leads directly to understanding what kinds of Deluxe items serve the community. Hasmann explained, “There’s a few things that usually contribute to the greenlighting of a Deluxe skin; it’s uniqueness when compared to the original look of the Warframe itself as well as other pre-existing skins; some of the main themes of the Warframe’s aesthetic or powers still need to be recognizable and integrated with the new design in an interesting way.”
He continued, “To get really specific, the use of different materials is frequently encouraged, as well as dipping into different genres from our standard Warframe style of sci-fi. An eye for fashion and cool/weird outfits also plays an important role in our selection. It needs to be technically feasible and compatible with the rig and our cloth system without presenting obvious flaws, must offer the player a fair degree of customization through the tinting system, and be mindful of our attachment points for other armor set pieces.”
Read our interview with Warframe Isleweaver Principal Writer Kat Kingsley here.
When it came to exploring Duviri in the Isleweaver update, Assistant Art Director Marco Hasmann offered some perspective on the inspiration. “The Unseeing Herald is our new Murmur faction enemy; the base idea for its design is coming from another of the original sketches that Mynki (Michael Brennan, Warframe’s first Art Director) did, where big pronounced anatomical features were at the base of the aesthetic, in this case, a gigantic mouth. When finalizing the concept, we tried to rework the idea, providing it with a distinctive silhouette to help it stand out from the rest of the lineup, while still maintaining the monolithic and bizarre shapes that are unique to this faction,” Hasmann said.
While my personal obsession in the Isleweaver update is Oraxia, I wanted to give the developers the chance to talk about what else they loved working on from this next chapter in Warframe. But, all roads lead back to our girl. “Oraxia, obviously,” Leshavov answered, “I will also say that I’m weirdly proud of her armor set; it seemed like a very bad idea that I shouldn’t have attempted, but I’m surprised that it works as well as it does. Shout out to Alfio Capotorto (Concept Artist) for doing a more detailed design of it, and Jade Manh (Weapon and Cosmetics Artist) for modeling it. “
When it comes to Leshakov, he also explained how other developers helped push her, when it comes to working with other discipline, “I more so had communications with Rebecca Ford (Creative Director) and Pablo Alonso (Design Director) about Oraxia, as well as the usual conversations with rigging and animation teams. I wasn’t convinced she could have proper spider legs in any way at all, but the team here knows better and pushes me to do things I’m wary of suggesting myself.”
Having been around for over a decade, the scope of the game can be overwhelming. I know it was for me, but with the new Isleweaver update, it’s the perfect time to jump in. Marco Hasmann explained his advice for new players, “Just fully immerse yourself in Warframe’s iconic aesthetic and gameplay. Isleweaver is bringing a lot of changes to the new player experience, making it easier to get into everything the game has to offer. The amount of content we have is truly massive, so take your time discovering it and enjoy the experience at your own pace. Warframe is a customizable experience in every aspect; there is no right or wrong way to play it.”
