TL;DR
- Warframe Update 44 gives Banshee a full ability rework covering her Passive, Sonic Boom, Sonar, Silence, and Sound Quake.
- Sonic Boom is now one-handed, removes ragdoll, deals more Impact damage, and strips 70% Armor with scaling up to 100% through Ability Strength.
- Sonar weak spots now count as Weak Points, improving compatibility with Weak Point-triggered Mods, Arcanes, and Incarnon charging.
- Silence can be recast to refresh its duration and reapply its stun.
- Sound Quake is no longer channelled by default; it creates a 25-second area, while the renamed Gaseous Quake Augment carries the channeled version of the ability.
What Changed
Update 44: Iceblade of Narin reworks Banshee with the stated goal of preserving her high weapon-damage potential while improving survivability, ability synergy, and quality of life. The changes affect every part of her base kit rather than only adjusting damage values.
Patch Impact
The rework reduces several sources of friction in Banshee’s kit. Multiple abilities no longer root her in place, Sonic Boom gains built-in Armor reduction, Sonar uses the broader Weak Point system, Silence is easier to refresh, and Sound Quake becomes a persistent area instead of a base channeled cast.
Who Is Affected
The changes directly affect players using Banshee, her Augment Mods, Sonar Weak Points, and Sound Quake. They also matter to loadouts that use Weak Point-triggered Mods, Arcanes, or Incarnon mechanics because Sonar now participates in that system.
Banshee Passive Changes
- Banshee still hushes the noise produced by her weapons.
- Casting Banshee abilities now applies maximum Puncture Status to nearby enemies within 10 metres.
Sonic Boom Changes
- Sonic Boom is now a one-handed cast and no longer roots Banshee in place.
- Ragdoll is removed. Enemies are pushed back and stunned instead.
- Impact damage increases from 50 to 250.
- Sonic Boom now strips 70% Armor and can scale to 100% Armor reduction with Ability Strength.
- The ability now breaks resource containers and breakable decorations and applies a guaranteed Impact Status Effect.
- The former Sonic Fracture Augment is renamed Sonic Siphon and can grant Banshee Armor when an enemy is hit.
Sonar Changes
- Sonar weak spots are now treated as Weak Points.
- This allows interaction with supported Mods, Arcanes, and other effects that use Weak Points.
- Sonar prioritizes unmarked body parts when placing new weak spots.
- Casting Sonar no longer roots Banshee in place.
Silence Changes
- Silence can now be recast to reset its duration and reapply the stun.
- Casting Silence no longer roots Banshee in place.
- Enemy visual effects were improved to make Silence status easier to identify.
Sound Quake and Gaseous Quake Changes
- Sound Quake is no longer channelled as the base ability.
- It now creates an area of effect that lasts 25 seconds.
- Banshee is briefly invulnerable during the cast.
- Enemies in the area receive guaranteed Blast Status Effects, with effect strength reduced by distance from the centre.
- The former Resonating Quake Augment is renamed Gaseous Quake.
- Gaseous Quake becomes the channeled version, adding Gas Damage and Status Effects while its damage and Energy drain increase during the channel.
What Players Should Do
- Recheck Banshee builds that previously depended on Sonic Fracture or Resonating Quake because those Augments now behave differently.
- Review Weak Point-based Mods, Arcanes, and Incarnon interactions if you use Sonar.
- Re-evaluate Ability Strength if you want Sonic Boom to reach higher Armor reduction.
- Test the new non-channeled Sound Quake and the Gaseous Quake Augment separately because their roles have effectively been exchanged.
Compared With Previous Patch
Before Update 44, Banshee did not have the new Puncture application on her Passive, Sonic Boom did not include the new built-in Armor reduction behavior, Sonar weak spots were not standardized as Weak Points, Silence could not be recast in the new way, and base Sound Quake used the older channeled behavior. Update 44 changes these systems together as one full rework.
Player Impact
- Mobility: Sonic Boom, Sonar, and Silence no longer root Banshee during their casts.
- Survivability: Sonic Boom gains built-in Armor reduction, while the Sonic Siphon Augment can provide Banshee with Armor.
- Weapon synergy: Sonar now connects with the wider Weak Point ecosystem.
- Area control: Sound Quake becomes a persistent area instead of requiring Banshee to remain channeling by default.
Sources
- PlayWarframe — Update 44: Banshee Rework Dev Workshop Video
- Warframe: Update 44: Iceblade of Narin — official patch notes