With the recent press release of the next major update to the game Warframe, a free-to-play co-op title by Digital Extremes, is it fair to say that this once dying London, Ontario-based game developer have the chops to take on Bungie’s next hopeful opus, Destiny 2?

The news of Digital Extremes looking to expand on the frequently updated ninja-themed space adventure game by introducing a new open-world concept by way of their update Plains of Eidolon has undoubtedly left many wondering if their successes could lead to becoming a contender for even a well-established and highly acclaimed AAA developer.

In a recent interview with PC Gamer Rebecca Ford, Digital Extreme’s Community Manager, had this to say about the recent press release they made during their own Tennocon Convention “Something we worry about constantly is how to keep things fresh after four years, not fall into a comfort zone, and to continue to take risks.” as she deliberated on the extensive growth on their “Still Beta” title. She went on further to say “We built Warframe with a procedurally generated map system that encompassed indoor and outdoor closed environments to help elongate play and keep players entertained while we continue building new content..” Unsurprisingly, she was referring to the involvement and transparency displayed between the developer and their fan-base, something that seems to be almost alien to the renown AAA-Title Developer Bungie.

[Image by Bungie / Activision]

Hoping to rebound from the first initial release of Destiny, their new flagship IP they released to lukewarm reprieve, they’ve released a beta test build for PlayStation 4 owners that have pre-ordered the title.

Explore, discover, fight, and fly through Warframe in a way you never have before. In the Plains of Eidolon you will set foot in a Landscape larger than anything you’ve seen in Warframe -- and you’re free to explore it on your own terms. Featured image credit: Digital Extremes Digital Extremes Webpage

Unfortunately, within hours of release, there were already issues of server crashes for any and all attempting to run the beta. Polygon had this to say in regards to the recent beta release “the Destiny 2 beta went live for PlayStation 4 pre-order customers at 1 p.m. ET today, but surprise, surprise: They’re having trouble getting in.” Going further into explanation as to what occurrence might’ve caused the server failures, Polygon went on to state “With the apparent flood of users trying to defend The Last City from a Cabal invasion, Bungie’s servers seem to be overwhelmed.” As of 5 hours ago, the issue has been resolved, but it goes without saying that this doesn’t bode well for a company that’s already facing relapse from abandoning their last IP, the Halo Series, in lieu of a product nearly identical in every way to their predecessor.

[Featured Image by Digital Extremes]