CheckMag | Warframe Jade Shadows update: 4 changes and new features arriving with update 36

Jade Shadows introduces the update's titular warframe, Jade, and her matching weapons set. The angelic-themed support warframe has abilities based on light and sound.

Light's Judgement is an area-of-effect cast that heals allies and inflicts damage on enemies, while also applying Judgements to enemies that it hurts. Symphony of Mercy invokes one of three songs, each of which give Jade's allies a boost — increased ability strength, increased weapon damage, or a shield buff. Meanwhile, Ophanim Eyes strips enemy armour and can revive fallen allies from a distance, and Glory on High allows Jade to soar above the battlefield and detonate previously inflicted Judgements at will.

Jade also arrives with her own matching weapon set that contrasts Stalker's Dread, Hate, and Despair combo. Harmony is a heavenly scythe that cuts down foes at a distance, while Evensong is a bow to oppose Dread with a multi-shot charged attack that pins enemies to walls. Cantare, on the other hand, are throwing knives that return to the player on reload, dealing damage through any enemies they encounter on the way back.

We have previously covered Warframe's imminent status rework in more detail, but the quality-of-life changes are finally landing with the Jade Shadows update. The gist of the quality-of-life changes to status, damage, and player and enemy armour and health is that they simplify the health and damage system and encourage build diversity.

Gas, Magnetic, and Cold status effects have also each seen buffs or changes that better convey when they are active and when they can hurt the player, in some cases. According to player reports, though, there are still some kinks to work out with the new system when it comes to certain enemies. One Reddit post, for instance, calls out the Profit-Taker Orb as being significantly more difficult after the rework due to increased health on the limbs.

Along with the new weapons, warframe, and quest, Jade Shadows also introduces a new game mode and a limited-time operation called Belly of the Beast.

Ascension is a new game mode that is sort of a variant of the typical Warframe excavation mission, but with an added step of having to extract the Motes you gather from harvesters at a special extractor. To make things more challenging, the whole mission takes place while players ascend through cramped levels and elevator shafts.

Belly of the Beast is a clan operation that will run from June 18 at 11:30 AM ET to July 18 at 11:30 AM ET. All players who have completed the Jade Shadows quest will have access to the Belly of the Beast, which will send players into a new node on Uranus, where they will fight the forces of Parvos, empowered by the Jade Light for special event rewards. The rewards from Belly of the Beast operation missions, known as Volatile Motes, can be traded for Steel Path standing.

For a full run-down of the updates and changes introduced in Jade Shadows, check the update hub on the game's site.

Take Warframe on the road with a Nintendo Switch OLED ($338 on Amazon) or Lenovo Legion Go ($629.99 from Lenovo US).

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