Warframe: 1999 is on the horizon and The Hex stands as the vanguard of this new adventure. These six Protoframes, transformed by the mysterious Albrecht Entrati, come together in the city of Höllvania. While each member of the Hex is stunningly photogenic — you can get to know them better with our new Romance & Relationship System — they’re further brought to life by our fantastic voice cast: Ben Starr as Arthur Nightingale, Alpha Takahashi as Aoi Morohoshi, Melissa Medina as Leticia “Lettie” Garcia, Kevin Afghani as Amir Beckett, Amelia Tyler as Eleanor Nightingale, and Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge as Quincy Isaacs.

As we welcome these voice actors into the Warframe family, we also wanted to get to know them a bit better. So we asked Ben Starr, Alpha Takahashi, Melissa Medina and Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge a few questions about contributing to the world of Warframe: 1999.

How does it feel to be part of the new “face” for these iterations of classic, veteran Warframes?

Ben Starr: It’s undoubtedly intimidating coming into a franchise that has such a prestigious legacy. These veteran Warframes are all so iconic. The fans have their own relationships with them and their own personal stories that they have forged with them. But [Creative Director Rebecca Ford] and the whole team at Digital Extremes have allowed us to come in and put our own individual stamp on them, while remaining true to what makes these Warframes so iconic in the first place.

The fans have already been so welcoming and I can’t wait to help build potentially another decade’s worth of story alongside them.

Alpha Takahashi: The pressure is on. To be part of this expansion is absolutely thrilling! Every time I get in the recording booth for 1999, I am immediately taken to another universe. I love Mag (she is so underrated!) and to be able to breathe life into her is a dream come true. I hope that introducing these Protoframes will inspire players to explore Warframes they might not have chosen as their main before.

Melissa Medína: I think it's so damn cool! I've played the game in the past, and it's nice to see the older Warframes getting some love, especially Trinity — not that I'm 100% biased. The way Digital Extremes listens to the players and constantly revamps and tweaks is one of the most amazing things about being a part of this franchise. How passionate and supportive the players are about their mains is actually so refreshing. I'm just honored I get to give her a voice.

Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge: It’s a huge honor to be joining the Warframe team. I’m incredibly excited to contribute to such an amazing game and to be part of this great community: the fans, the creators, and my fellow actors alike. Quincy is an awesome character and I can’t wait for players to meet him.

When you were first approached with this opportunity, what made you say “yes” to the role?

Ben Starr: My trust in the team. There was such a clear vision from the outset. And being a child of the ‘90s myself, it was an absolute no brainer. The cultural touchstones of this expansion are all things that informed me growing up. How could I not say yes?

Alpha Takahashi: The visual aesthetics. I took one look at the designs and fell in love with the details and the endless customization options. This was waaaaay before I got to see the illustrations for Aoi. I knew she was going to come out amazing, and she did!

Warframe is also very special in a sense that there is no limit to their stories and situations. I stepped into the Warframe lore and found myself curled up in front of my virtual fireplace, iPad in hand, diving deep into the game's history.

Melissa Medína: Can I say it was the character art? Pretty sure it was the character art that caught my attention first. Which I know was a labor of love with the entire team and of course the late, great Mynki.

As a massive Sci-Fi fan, I saw a nod to Blade Runner in Trinity's hair, and I was all in! (I also see JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, too!) The Narrative Team, including the VO Director Cam Rogers, put so much thought and care into Trinity's character and backstory that I knew I was a great fit right away. Trinity is complicated. She isn't a perfect person or a trophy, and that's kind of what I like about her. She's a healer trying to heal—and I think that's kind of beautiful in her own prickly way.

Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge: Purely off of his character description! “A cocky mercenary with expensive tastes; fashion-conscious, tech-savvy, the best at what he does—and he knows it.” What’s not to love?! To me, that sounded like a ton of fun to play, and I was right! Also with him being from London, it all felt familiar to me.

What other media inspires your take on your character, or what parts of yourself do you bring to the role?

Ben Starr: I really just wanted to bring a tenderness to Arthur. He is a hardened military man, but I really wanted to dig into what drives him, and more importantly what scares him. A huge amount of writing has gone into this. Arthur may be a super soldier, but it’s his humanity that makes him relatable. That’s what he’s fighting to save. So I jumped on any opportunity to reveal those aspects of his character. I’m a bit of a goofball in real life, so I tried to find small moments of levity, joy and fun to add depths to his seemingly steely exterior.

Alpha Takahashi: Aoi is so close to my heart that I didn’t have to search far to find her voice. A badass tech who is an eternal optimist, loves pop music, cares deeply about her team and has multi-colored hair? (I am currently purple/blue myself!)

Like Aoi, I used to fold origami whenever I needed to mend my soul. Must have made over a thousand cranes by now. In Japan, they say your wish comes true after making a thousand origami cranes. Looks like I got my wish! (wink wink)

Melissa Medína: Honestly, I put so much of myself into Trinity, we have a lot in common. We are both Mexican-American Spanish speakers who are especially fond of cursing, with a prickly, but 100% honest, personality. She's not gonna mince words or spare your feelings.

I didn't have to stretch too far to understand Lettie. She's seen some things, she's struggled and she's tough because of it, but deep down I think she cares more than anybody, even if she'll never admit it. To fit that kind of backstory into a game that's been going for like 10 years — and constantly keeping things fresh and new — is what inspired me to dive deep into her character. I just wanted to honor that effort and play Lettie as real as I could.

Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge: I used a lot of UK rap to help get into a certain headspace before recording. Artists I grew up listening to, like Kano, Ghetts and Giggs, are brilliant UK talents who gave me a specific energy to draw from for this character. I also took a lot of inspiration from Idris Elba’s Luther.

How familiar were you with Warframe prior to taking on the role?

Ben Starr: Although I’d never played it, I was hugely familiar with the franchise and its cultural impact. You don’t last as long as Warframe has in this industry without being exceptional. So many of my colleagues had waxed lyrical for years about its storytelling and gameplay. Also, how could you not be seduced by the iconic image of Excalibur!

Alpha Takahashi: I had heard whispers about Warframe from my friends who are long-time players. When I told them I'd be part of the game, their eyes lit up brighter than the Void. I watched countless gameplay and tutorial videos online before approaching the role — shoutout to all the streamers! — and ultimately started playing myself. I just bought a new console for my family and they are ready for the journey. I mean, when your father wants to learn how to play a video game, you know it’s a good one! :D

Melissa Medína: No joke, I actually have played Trinity in the past, before I ever even thought about becoming a voice actor! Plus, a friend or two of mine are also in Warframe: shout out to Sara Secora, the voice of Mathila, who cast and introduced me to the team!

Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge: Honestly, I didn’t know much about Warframe! I don’t game as much as I used to, and when I do, it’s pretty basic… Call of Duty: Warzone. I wish I had discovered this game earlier.

How has your experience been engaging with the Warframe community so far?

Ben Starr: Having had the great honor of attending TennoCon this year, I’ve been able to interact with so many Tenno already. In addition, I’ve had Warframe fans come up to me all over the world and express how excited they are for Warframe: 1999. I’m in all of their passion and dedication. It’s such an honor to be a small part of this community.

Alpha Takahashi: Love it! TennoCon was a blast, and simply a life changing experience. It’s not everyday you get to have a party with 3000+ people with the same passion. I’ll never forget the energy when the crowd cheered and chanted for Pablo.

Thanks to Digital Extremes, I also had the privilege of meeting fans in Japan at the Tokyo Game Show. Many of them had been playing for years and told me how excited they were about hearing Japanese — my voice! — in the promo videos. What an honor! <3

Now I have a new mission… Expand the playerbase in Japan!

Melissa Medína: Man, the Warframe community is legit amazing! I've had people from my home region of South Texas reach out happy to have rep; I've had people send me in-game stills and photos of their Trinity just for fun, and overall it's been really positive. I think I was still under NDA during the last TennoCon, but I tuned in to the livestream for the big reveal sitting on my couch with a big-ass bowl of popcorn watching the comments shoot by. My heart just about grew three sizes, even though I couldn't say anything publicly!

Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge: I haven’t had a chance to engage with the community much yet, but I’m eagerly awaiting the game’s release so players can get a real feel for Quincy. The response so far has been incredibly positive and I hope that continues. I must say, I absolutely love the Quincy fan art—keep that coming. Very cool!

Given the era that the update takes place in, what was *your* favorite ‘90s trend?

Ben Starr: I was a huge Pogs fan. Circular cardboard has never been so cool. At the time, there was nothing I wanted more than a Tamagotchi. And I never got it!

When it comes to music, much like Rebecca Ford, I was utterly hammered with boy bands. You could say I was… infected.

Alpha Takahashi: Furby! That was my first pet ever—other than Tamagotchi, of course—and I adored my purple furry friend. I still remember the songs Furby would sing to me, and it never fails to both amuse and creep out my *human* friends when I sing for them.

And then there's One Piece. I grew up reading the original manga series while in Japan, and when the anime premiered in 1999, it was like embarking on a grand new adventure. The theme song “We Are!” definitely became a staple song for karaoke night. The ‘90s were a treasure trove of trends and continue to inspire me to this day. We survived Y2K!

Melissa Medína: Ok, I grew up in the ‘90s, so the thing that I miss most is the tacky and wonderful trend of clear stuff. You know, the clear phones where you could see the motherboard and stuff? The clear colored and neon see-through CD cases and purses, colorful see-through inflatable couches that broke after like two weeks—that kind of stuff. There were also muy goth-y black vinyl versions of those items that I secretly adored, but couldn't afford. Bring back the tacky whimsy!

Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge: Well, I was born in 1995, so I can’t say I remember much from the ‘90s. That said, I do have memories of huddling around our TV with my older brothers watching episode after episode of Kenan & Kel. “Who lovvves orange soda?” good times.