Warframe is heading to the tabletop – no, seriously. Digital Extremes has teamed up with Paizo to create Operation Orias, a full-fledged campaign built in the Starfinder ruleset. It’s a crossover that sounds weird at first, but once you look at it, the pieces click together almost too well. Space ninjas meet cosmic weirdness? Yeah, that tracks.
The crossover was revealed at Gen Con this week, with Paizo showing off early modules, enemy stats, and a fresh rulebook that blends Warframe’s chaotic mobility with Starfinder’s more tactical structure. It’s not a standalone product – you’ll need the Starfinder core rules to play – but the Operation Orias expansion adds everything you need to bring the Origin System into your tabletop sessions.
This isn’t just a reskin. It’s a new setting with new lore, new systems, and a campaign arc that’s tailored to small-party play. It’s built with both Warframe fans and tabletop regulars in mind, and the preview content already shows a lot more depth than your average branded cash-in.
The full launch is set for October, with print and PDF versions arriving simultaneously. If you’re burned out on traditional fantasy and looking for a TTRPG with edge, energy, and parkour potential, this one’s worth a look.
A Warframe Tabletop Campaign That Understands Warframe
Most game-to-TTRPG adaptations fumble the tone. Not this one. Operation Orias nails the vibe of Warframe while still fitting into a Starfinder structure. You’re not just generic sci-fi heroes – you’re Tenno. Each player picks a Warframe with its own powers, movement rules, and mod trees. Yes, mod trees. You can actually customise your powers through upgrades and relics, just like in the main game.
Movement gets special attention, too. Warframe is known for its speed and parkour, and the devs claim they’ve translated that into a system of chainable stunts, wall-runs, and rapid position swaps. It’s not just theatre-of-the-mind – there are actual mechanics in place to make your ninja flips matter in combat.
The starter campaign focuses on a stealth recon op gone wrong, involving Corpus tech theft, infected Grineer husks, and a mysterious faction trying to bridge dimensions. It’s classic Warframe, but told through Starfinder’s more deliberate, narrative-first lens.
A Perfect Match for Starfinder’s Rule System
The thing that makes this work is Starfinder’s natural flexibility. It’s already designed for pulpy space opera and over-the-top tech fantasy, so adding biomechanical space assassins doesn’t feel like a stretch. Instead, it opens up a bunch of new doors for what Starfinder groups can do.
You’ve got the standard classes and weapons, but now there are custom warframe types, sentinel companions, and unique abilities like void dashes and temporal phase attacks. It’s not overcomplicated either. The devs claim a GM with basic Starfinder knowledge can plug Operation Orias into an ongoing campaign without much fuss.
There are also options to use the setting without playing as Tenno. Maybe you’re a squad of Grineer rebels or a broken-down AI crew trying to stop a void corruption. It’s modular enough to play how you want, but focused enough to feel like Warframe, which has been delayed for the Nintendo Switch 2 due to a dev kit shortage.
Digital and Physical Launch Coming in October
The full release is coming this fall in both print and PDF formats. Digital Extremes is handling the lore and visuals, while Paizo builds out the mechanical side. Expect about 150 pages total, including:
- 3 new species
- 6 Warframe archetypes
- Full rule set for mod-based progression
- A four-part campaign arc
- Bonus lore docs and setting maps
There’s also a digital tools bundle being teased for Starfinder Infinite, with character sheets, premade encounters, and homebrew-friendly frameworks. It’s clear they’re thinking about long-term usability, not just a one-and-done product.
Finally, a Licensed TTRPG That Gets It Right
Let’s be real, licensed tabletop RPGs are usually mediocre. They slap a logo on a rulebook, toss in some vague lore, and call it a day. Operation Orias feels different. It looks like the people making it actually play both games. They understand what makes Warframe fun and how to translate that into dice rolls and narrative beats.
If you’re a Warframe player looking to dive into TTRPGs – or a Starfinder group that wants something weirder and wilder – this could be a great entry point. It’s got speed. It’s got lore. And most importantly, it’s got style.
