Soulframe Opens Its Gates

Why opening the gates is such a big deal

On 6 November 2026, Digital Extremes made Soulframe Open Preludes available to all Windows PC players. For those who remember the invitation process, that is a substantial shift: the next stage of development will be shaped by a much larger group of people, each discovering what they love, what frustrates them and what still needs work.

This is the studio that built Warframe into a long-running live-service phenomenon, but Soulframe is not simply Warframe wearing a cloak and carrying a sword. Its identity leans into the natural world, ancestry, slower and more deliberate combat, and the tension between an ancient land and the invading Ode. We are particularly interested in whether the act of restoring that land becomes as enjoyable as fighting over it.

Creative Director Geoff Crookes has made the team’s intentions clear in the official launch announcement: expanding the community now is about refining systems such as combat and mounts while there is still time to change them. That openness can be exciting, but it also means we should judge the experience as a living test build, not a polished final release.

What exactly is Soulframe?

You play an Envoy in the fantasy world of Alca, with Midrath serving as a landscape of ruins, strange creatures, natural beauty and corruption. The invading Ode threatens the island and its wildlife. Your task is to uncover stories, help its inhabitants and reclaim what has been damaged, using weapons, magic, stealth and supernatural Pacts.

Those Pacts connect you with powerful ancestral or creature-linked abilities. Story quests, known as Fables, introduce the world and gradually unlock activities. Beyond combat, there is crafting, equipment progression, wildlife rescue, exploration, fishing and co-operative play for parties of up to four. That is a fairly substantial collection of ideas even before the new update enters the picture.

Preludes 17: Verse of the Veilands changes the shape of the adventure

Much of the November excitement centres on Verse of the Veilands, the Preludes 17 update accompanying the public opening. Its biggest addition is a new way to think about progression across Midrath. Seven regions are blighted by Ode corruption. After completing The Torment Stag Fable, players can begin working alongside Enclaves to reclaim those regions and dismantle the Ode Syphons draining the land.

That has a tangible effect on the environment. While a region remains corrupted, natural resources are scarce, creatures have fled and fish are absent from poisoned waters. Reclaiming an area brings life back, making environmental restoration more than something we are merely told to care about. The world starts to respond to our actions.

Votives have been rebuilt too

Votives, Soulframe’s regional activities, now revolve around a primary objective and optional secondary Oaths rather than a strictly linear sequence. Completing those optional challenges can improve your result, with S, A, B and C reward ranks and increased Favour for stronger performances. Death can affect that score. These are meaningful adjustments for anyone worried that an enormous landscape could become a checklist of identical tasks.

There is a caveat: the developers say repeatable, randomised Votives following a region’s redemption are being reintroduced in a later hotfix or update. It is another reminder that Open Preludes is actively in development and certain systems are still being rebalanced.

Yes, you can raise and ride an enormous wolf

The Omen Wolf mount is understandably attracting plenty of attention. Soulframe already introduced a wolf pup companion and bonding activities; Preludes 17 takes that relationship further. Players who complete their pup’s training, cleanse two Veilands regions and prepare the required Bairnday Biscuit can eventually watch their companion mature into a rideable Omen Wolf.

There is something appealing about making a mount the result of building a bond rather than buying a saddle from the nearest vendor. It also connects exploration, care and progression in one of the game’s most striking fantasy moments. Digital Extremes has said the system will continue evolving.

New powers, equipment and underground dangers

The update is not only about environmental restoration. Ode Shrike is a new Pact that repurposes enemy-style traps and battlefield control: deployable spikes, airborne disruption, binding chains and explosive evasive options offer a different flavour of combat. Preludes 17 also introduces six weapons, three armour sets and six Runes. Among the new abilities are Crimsonfell for heavy weapons and polearms, and Lunarcure, which provides healing options for compatible magical equipment.

There is also an early look at the Mines of Borro, with new subterranean spaces and enemies including the Agari Ceptet. Fishing has expanded through new species and challenges. Returning seasonal content, Bita’s Eve, brings sinister Wintersquash patches and the Veltruska miniboss, with event rewards available during its run through 4 December 2026.

Can you play with friends, and does progress carry over?

The official announcement confirms online parties for up to four players. However, not every cooperative feature is unlocked the moment a fresh account enters Midrath: early Fables and other progression milestones introduce more of the game’s systems over time.

Digital Extremes says it hopes to preserve player progress where possible, but because this is a pre-alpha, future changes could still require resets or adjustments. The developer has not announced a firm final-release date. For now, Preludes is available through the official PC launcher, rather than a live Steam download. You can wishlist it on Steam to follow development.

How to join Soulframe Open Preludes

• Visit the official Soulframe website and register or sign in.
• Choose an Envoy name and download the Windows PC launcher.
• Complete the initial Fables to begin unlocking more of Midrath’s exploration, progression and social systems.
• If you encounter bugs or balancing issues, send feedback through the official Soulframe forums.

Why we’re watching closely

There’s a difference between a fantasy game having an enormous world and giving players a reason to care about every part of it. Soulframe’s idea of healing corrupted landscapes, nurturing animal companions and uncovering stories together could become something rather special. Or it could struggle to make all those systems fit. The promising thing is that players can now find out for themselves, and their feedback can influence the answer.

For Coloured Static Press, this is precisely the kind of game that deserves thoughtful, continuing editorial coverage. We want to see how the combat feels after the novelty fades, whether the new Votives encourage genuine exploration, how rewarding the restorative mechanics become and what playing alongside friends adds to the experience.

We’ll keep following its development, alongside our original Open Preludes launch report. The next thing we want to publish is our own footage and considered first-hand impressions.