Well, even if Dark Sector has been made by DE, the IP is owned by Deep Silver so I don't see how they could integrate the game to Warframe's lore without risking a trial...
I'm sure DE's lawyers have done a lot of research about how far can they push it before its infringement, I'd say as long as they don't use specific names, assets or story from dark sector it should be good. Or alternatively they can maybe even buy back the rights if needed, who knows
Just like the Xeboblade/Monolith situation where fans expect Xenosaga to become cannon in the Xenoblade universe after a 1 minute video they over interpret without concerns about the legal and profit part (Xenoblade is owned by Nintendo, Xenosaga by Bandai and Nintendo would never share the benefit made on Xenoblade just to make fans happy), we have fans expecting the fusion of Dark Sector and Warframe with an over interpreted video of 5 minutes.
Like you said DE can create something similar without it being Dark Sector. That would be a more logical thing they would do based on law.
Unless we have a wall street news that announce that the IP change hands or that Tencent now own Deep Silver prior to that trailer (because not doing it in that order could be consider a market manipulation that would be sanctions by the FTC) the only possible outcome stay the same as before: Dark Sector and Warframe are 2 differents things.
I would prefer Tencent to disappear. It has become a way too big company to not be concerning and even if they saved Warframe by buying DE, I think on the long terms it's better for icarus to fall...
I agree with the idea of Tencent dissappearing, but im adamant to critique on their handle of Warframe since I havent seen it go to shit (yet) like other developers that arent even owned by them, it might not be a testament to them but it does feel like them giving free will to DE is proven true by this point
I'm more concerned about all the data Tencent is collecting on behalf of PCC party. It is know that Tencent agreement with Discord imply data collection and data storage in china. The more Tencent buy companies, the more they collect data and the more they collect data, the more they know about you: which community you have joined on discord, who are your online friends, when you are online, who you talk to and your attitude toward them, how much money you spend in MTX (in Warframe and other games owned by them) and because discord act like a spyware, they know which program is installed on your computer, etc.... They don't specifically target you or me but neural networks best job is to sort data and find models in order to find the best way to trigger emotional answer and manipulate you, shiuld it be to makes you more willingly to spend money on MTX or pushing you to oppose regional or national decision that is bad for China.
A lot of people think MAAMA (ex-GAFAM) are a privacy nightmare and they are, but Tencent is way worst because they have more diversity in their bying meaning they know more about everyone AND thanks to discord contract leak we know they provide those datas to the PCC for their international propaganda.