Warframe developer Digital Extremes made the decision to postpone its annual TennoCon convention until August 1. Community Director Rebecca Ford delivered the news today on the company’s forums and gave some details as to why, in addition to there being a short video by Creative Director Steve Sinclair.
The most obvious reason for the delay is related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the problems it causes for Digital Extremes. Ford explained that the team will be running the live event remotely, which is far more complicated than in-studio production. Digital Extremes wants to host a successful event that still captures the magic of TennoCon, so the decision to postpone it was made.
Digital Extremes also wanted to keep its ambitions in check. In the year prior, it committed to immovable dates that put Warframe in a tough situation that the team was not happy with. Ford emphasized that they didn’t want to make the same mistake again.
“We have a lot of Buried Debts in terms of ideas we’ve shown (but not shipped),” said Ford. “We want our TennoCon 2020 presentation to be an unmistakable reveal of what you see is what you get.”
It’s still TennoCon, just digitized
Digital Extremes historically hosted TennoCon to help fans and friends connect in person with the game and each other. The developer also used the opportunity to show off new expansions for Warframe and host fun activities.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of TennoCon, but its the first year for the event as a digital showcase. Digital Extremes clearly had to do some creative thinking about how to restructure the event and keep it entertaining.
It’s weird to see merchandise for what is now a digital event, but Digital Extremes will still contribute a portion of the profits to local charities.
It’s good to see the studio trying to make the best of the global situation by carrying on with its annual tradition. So many events like E3 and BlizzCon have been canceled or postponed this year, which has been disappointing for fans.
For more info on TennoCon, check out the official website. The event is confirmed for August 1, and the full event schedule will be updated soon.
