Free-to-play games often get a reputation for being very aggressive with how they handle monetization. The bigger offenders are those who give payers who pay with real money an advantage over others who don’t. With that said, is Warframe a pay-to-win game? We can break this down below.
Is Warframe pay to win?
In short, no, Warframe is not a pay-to-win game. It might seem like it is because, on the game’s storefront, you see things like Prime Access, various other weapon and frame bundles, and two different types of currencies. All of these that you see are not needed to play the game at all. You are also not at a disadvantage for not opting to buy any of this.
Putting actual money into the game expedites the rate at which you progress in the game and gets you cosmetics. Every frame, weapon, pet, and other auxiliary component to gameplay is obtainable by playing the game.
Every weapon you see in the shop will have a blueprint that’s available for purchase with earned, in-game credits. They will then have a set of components that you have to farm to craft them. No paying there.
However, if you want to rush the build time for that weapon currently being crafted, you can pay with Platinum, which is Warframe’s premium currency. You can also use Platinum to buy cosmetics that can’t be crafted or earned through in-game means. However, there are still multiple avenues where you can snag some free skins, color palettes, and other cosmetics.
If you don’t want to throw any money at Warframe, you can still play the game far enough to the point where you’re farming endgame items that other players will gladly buy from you.
For example, you farm for and get all of Grendel Prime’s parts. You can sell that entire set to someone for Platinum. With that earned premium currency, you can now get things in the market without spending money. Of course, there is a trade-off between time and money, so keep that in mind.
All in all, you can choose whether you want to put money into Warframe or not. It isn’t a pay-to-win game and you’re never forced to spend anything other than your time while playing.
