TL;DR: You get Cyte-09's main blueprint for free by finishing The Hex quest. His Neuroptics, Chassis and Systems blueprints drop from Höllvania Central Mall bounties at 11.63–13.33% each, as the final-stage reward. If you'd rather skip the RNG, Amir of The Hex sells each part for 20,000 Standing once you reach Rank 2 (Fresh Slice). The finished frame costs 25,000 Credits and 1 Orokin Cell and takes 3 days in the Foundry, or 370 Platinum in the Market. Current for Update 44.1 (Iceblade of Narin: The Icebind), Hotfix 44.1.3, which also changed how Cyte-09's Elemental Ammo works with Acid Shells.
Cyte-09 is in the news again. DE's Hotfix 44.1.3 (October 22, 2026) named him directly when it changed the Acid Shells build, and a post on r/Warframe asking "Should Cyte be nerfed?" pulled more than 60 replies within hours. If you want to try him yourself, here is how to get him.
This guide covers the whole route: unlocking Höllvania, which bounty drops which part, the Amir shortcut, every resource you need, and what the latest hotfix actually changed. Every drop rate below comes from DE's official drop tables, last updated October 22, 2026.
How do you unlock Cyte-09 in Warframe?
Cyte-09 is tied to Warframe: 1999 (Update 38, released December 13, 2024). You can't farm him until you've done the 1999 story. According to the WARFRAME Wiki's The Hex quest page), you need:
- The Duviri Paradox quest completed.
- The Lotus Eaters quest completed.
- Then play The Hex, a solo-only main quest.
Finishing The Hex gives you the Cyte-09 main blueprint, plus Forma, the Atomicycle, the Magnetic Might mod and access to The Hex Syndicate and Höllvania bounties. The Wiki's acquisition section puts it plainly:
"Cyte-09's main blueprint is acquired upon completion of The Hex quest. His component blueprints are acquired from Höllvania Central Mall Bounties as an uncommon drop."
So the quest covers one of the four blueprints. The other three are the actual farm.
Where do Cyte-09's parts drop?
The parts come from the bounty board in the garage of the Höllvania Central Mall. Each bounty is assigned to a random Hex member, who joins you in the mission. According to DE's drop tables, each Cyte-09 part sits in a different bounty tier, and it only drops as the final-stage reward:
| Part | Bounty tier (DE drop table) | Drop chance | Average full bounties | ~90% chance after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyte-09 Chassis Blueprint | Level 55–60 WF1999 Bounty | 12.20% | ~8 | ~18 |
| Cyte-09 Neuroptics Blueprint | Level 65–70 WF1999 Bounty | 11.63% | ~9 | ~19 |
| Cyte-09 Systems Blueprint | Level 75–80 WF1999 Bounty | 13.33% | ~8 | ~17 |
The last two columns are simple maths on DE's rates: the average is 1 ÷ drop chance, and the 90% figure is how many clears it takes before you've got a 90% chance of at least one copy. Expect somewhere around 25 bounty clears for all three parts on an average run of luck, and more on a bad one.
A note on the level labels. The WARFRAME Wiki's Cyte-09 page lists each part one tier higher (Chassis at 65–70, Neuroptics at 75–80, Systems at 85–90). DE's own table, updated October 22, 2026, puts them where the table above shows. We've gone with DE. Either way, check the reward list on the bounty card before you accept it. If a Cyte-09 part isn't in that bounty's pool, it can't drop.
What else do those bounties pay?
You're not wasting runs on the bad rolls. The same final-stage tables pay out Endo (600–2,100), Aya, and stacks of the 1999 resources you'll need to build the frame: 20 Efervon Samples, 20–30 Höllvanian Pitchweave Fragments, 3 Techrot Chitin, Experimental Arc-Relays and Techrot Motherboards. The Level 55–60 and 65–70 tiers also drop Hex trade-in items such as The Countessa Comic and the On-Lyne CD, which you can hand to Leticia for Hex Standing.
Can you buy Cyte-09's blueprints with Hex Standing?
Yes, and for a lot of players it's the quicker route. Amir Beckett, The Hex's electronics expert, sells all of Cyte-09's blueprints. Per the WARFRAME Wiki:
| Blueprint | Standing cost | Hex rank needed |
|---|---|---|
| Neuroptics | 20,000 | Rank 2 – Fresh Slice |
| Chassis | 20,000 | Rank 2 – Fresh Slice |
| Systems | 20,000 | Rank 2 – Fresh Slice |
| Main blueprint | 50,000 | Rank 4 – Hot & Fresh |
That's 60,000 Standing for the three parts, on top of the Standing and rank-up materials it takes to reach Rank 2. You only need the 50,000-Standing main blueprint if you lost or sold the one from the quest. Rank 4 also asks for more than Standing: you need to reach "Liked" with all six Hex members on KIM and finish The Hex Finale, so don't plan around it.
How fast can you earn 60,000 Hex Standing?
The Hex follows the normal Syndicate cap. Per the Wiki's Standing page, your daily limit is 16,000 + 500 × your Mastery Rank:
| Mastery Rank | Daily Hex Standing cap | Days to 60,000 (capped) |
|---|---|---|
| MR 8 | 20,000 | 3 |
| MR 16 | 24,000 | 3 (2.5) |
| MR 24 | 28,000 | 3 (2.1) |
| MR 30 | 31,000 | 2 |
You earn Hex Standing from:
- Höllvania bounties, the same ones that drop the parts.
- Trade-ins with Leticia: Big Bytes Pizza (2,500), Argon Burger Meal (1,500), and 750 each for the 35mm Film, Cheddar Crowns Cereal, Mood Crystal, Chuggin' Along Sixpack, On-lyne CD and The Countessa Comic.
- Temporal Archimedea: all three missions pay 15,000 (unlocked at Rank 5).
Those collectibles are Hex Treasures. Every Höllvania mission can spawn 8 of them (one Big Bytes Pizza and one Argon Burger Meal guaranteed). Turning them in does use up your daily Hex Standing allowance, so hand them in on days you haven't capped from bounties, such as a day you only have time for a quick run.
Our pick: do the bounties anyway. Every clear rolls for a part and pays Standing, so you're working both routes at once. Buy whatever part you're still missing from Amir once you hit Rank 2.
What resources do you need to build Cyte-09?
These numbers are from the Wiki's crafting data. Each component takes 12 hours in the Foundry, and you can build all three at the same time. The final build takes 3 days (72 hours), so the minimum wait without rushing is 84 hours.
| Blueprint | Credits | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Neuroptics | 15,000 | 60 Efervon Sample, 40 Techrot Chitin, 2 Neural Sensors, 1 Argon Crystal |
| Chassis | 15,000 | 200 Höllvanian Pitchweave Fragment, 6 Experimental Arc-Relay, 8 Techrot Motherboard, 1,000 Alloy Plate |
| Systems | 15,000 | 20 Efervon Sample, 500 Circuits, 4 Experimental Arc-Relay, 6 Techrot Motherboard |
| Cyte-09 (main) | 25,000 | Neuroptics + Chassis + Systems + 1 Orokin Cell |
Total: 70,000 Credits, 80 Efervon Samples, 200 Pitchweave Fragments, 40 Techrot Chitin, 10 Experimental Arc-Relays, 14 Techrot Motherboards, 2 Neural Sensors, 1 Argon Crystal, 1 Orokin Cell, 1,000 Alloy Plate and 500 Circuits.
Two items catch people out:
- Argon Crystal decays at the daily reset, so build the Neuroptics the same day you get one. Our Argon Crystal farming guide covers the best Void nodes.
- Orokin Cell is easy to run out of. See where to farm Orokin Cells if your stash is empty.
The 1999 resources (Efervon, Pitchweave, Chitin, Arc-Relays, Motherboards) come from Höllvania missions and the bounty tables above. If you farm the parts through bounties, you'll usually have most of what you need by the time the last blueprint drops.
Can you just buy Cyte-09 with Platinum?
Yes. The fully built frame is 370 Platinum in the Market, and each Foundry build can be rushed (the Wiki lists 50 Platinum for the final build). There is no Cyte-09 Prime, so the Market version is the only one.
Cyte-09's parts can't be traded between players. If you don't want to spend Platinum from DE's store, the legitimate option is to earn it by selling tradeable items (Prime parts, relics, Riven mods, arcanes) to other players through the in-game Trading Post. DE's support team calls third-party "discounted Platinum" sellers "not legitimate", so stay with DE's store and in-game trades. Our platinum-making guide covers what sells best.
What did Hotfix 44.1.3 change for Cyte-09?
This is the part of the story driving the current Reddit argument. Cyte-09's Resupply throws Elemental Ammo Packs that give your weapon an extra hit of the chosen element. Paired with Acid Shells (the Sobek augment that makes enemies explode on death), that extra elemental instance could set off death explosions over and over, clearing whole rooms on its own.
DE's Hotfix 44.1.3 notes explain why they stepped in:
"As developers, we've been pretty transparent about our threshold to 'nerf' content; the Cyte-09 and Acid Shells build never felt dominant or disruptive enough to warrant a closer look, but over the past few weeks that has changed. Arbitrations, discussions about Ammo Efficiency, and the introduction of the Epoch Operation: Taubound have rapidly increased the popularity of this build, to the point where we feel we need to address it."
What actually changed:
- Status effects from Elemental Ammo can no longer retrigger death-explosion effects for Acid Shells, Amalgam Furax Body Count, Vulcan Blitz, Explosive Demise, Combustion Beam, Thermagnetic Shells and Entropy Detonation.
- DE says these mods still benefit from Elemental Ammo's extra damage and status. They just don't chain forever.
- Acid Shells' explosion radius dropped from 15m to 10m.
- The same hotfix capped Ammo Efficiency at 75% and retired Riven Dispositions. Our Riven disposition breakdown covers that half.
Anyone who logs in after the hotfix gets an Arsenal Retuning inbox with 2 built Forma and 100,000 Kuva, available until December 31, 2026 at 11:59pm ET.
Is Cyte-09 still worth farming? Yes. The change hit one combo, not the frame. One player in the Reddit thread put it simply: they were glad they "only play Cyte for the Neutralizer". His kit stands up without Acid Shells:
- Passive (Practiced Aim): each weak-point kill adds +1% weak-point Critical Chance, up to +300%, for the whole mission.
- Seek (25 energy): plants up to 3 antennas that reveal enemies through walls, add up to 75% weak-point damage and give your guns punch through.
- Resupply (50 energy): two Elemental Ammo Packs, +25% damage (+50% on sniper rifles) with a forced status of your chosen element.
- Evade (75 energy): a backward dodge into invisibility for 10 seconds. Weak-point kills extend it by 2s each, up to 30s.
- Neutralize: summons the Neutralizer exalted sniper, 45% crit chance, 3x crit multiplier, with shots that ricochet between weak points up to 4 times.
Evade is also his Helminth ability, so farming Cyte-09 gives you a solid invisibility subsume for other frames. See our Helminth guide and the best abilities to subsume.
What do players get wrong about the Cyte-09 farm?
- "The parts drop from every stage." They don't. DE's table lists them under final stage only, so bailing out halfway gives you nothing.
- "All bounties can drop all three parts." Each part is tied to one tier. Running the same bounty tier over and over only rolls for one part.
- "You need Rank 4 with The Hex." Only for the main blueprint from Amir, which you already got from the quest. The parts need Rank 2.
- "Cyte-09 got nerfed." Hotfix 44.1.3 changed the recursive death-explosion interaction and Acid Shells' radius. His abilities themselves weren't touched in that hotfix.
FAQ
How do you get Cyte-09 in Warframe? Finish The Hex quest for his main blueprint. Then farm his Neuroptics, Chassis and Systems blueprints from Höllvania Central Mall bounties, or buy them from Amir for 20,000 Hex Standing each at Rank 2. You can also buy the built frame for 370 Platinum in the Market.
Which bounty drops the Cyte-09 Systems blueprint? According to DE's drop tables (updated October 22, 2026), the Level 75–80 WF1999 bounty, at 13.33% from its final stage. Chassis is in the Level 55–60 bounty (12.20%) and Neuroptics in the Level 65–70 bounty (11.63%).
What quest do you need for Cyte-09? The Hex. It needs The Duviri Paradox and The Lotus Eaters first, and it rewards the Cyte-09 main blueprint.
How long does it take to farm Cyte-09? On average about 25 bounty clears for the three parts, plus 84 hours of Foundry time (12 hours for the components built together, then 3 days for the frame). If you buy the parts from Amir, the 60,000 Standing takes around 2–3 capped days once you're Rank 2, depending on your Mastery Rank.
Is there a Cyte-09 Prime? No. Cyte-09 has no Prime version yet, so the base frame is the only one available.
Did Hotfix 44.1.3 nerf Cyte-09? It changed the combo, not his abilities. Elemental Ammo from Resupply can no longer chain death explosions from Acid Shells and six other mods, and Acid Shells' radius dropped from 15m to 10m. Resupply still adds its extra elemental damage and status.
Want more Warframe farming and economy guides? Browse our full Warframe guide library, or see how this farm compares with getting Narin. This article is current as of Update 44.1 (Iceblade of Narin: The Icebind, Hotfix 44.1.3), checked October 24, 2026. Drop rates come from DE's official drop tables; costs, ranks and ability numbers come from the official WARFRAME Wiki pages for Cyte-09, The Hex Syndicate) and Standing.
