BioWare Confirms Complete Anthem Rework On The Horizon
It’s coming up on a year since BioWare officially launched its ambitious multiplayer RPG Anthem, and while the live-service title had its fans in the beginning (including DFTG), the game has since experienced waning interest as content updates have become fewer and far between. The last big patch brought a winter-themed event called Icetide to the alien setting, but has seen little else introduced since going live back in December. While it’d be easy to conclude that BioWare was finished with Anthem, it appears the developer instead has some hopeful plans to rework the game into a much more rewarding experience.
Taking to the BioWare blog (via Prima Games), studio GM Casey Hudson looked back at the last year of Anthem and provided an update on the game’s future. “I am so proud of the work the team has put into this game, and at the same time there’s so much more that we – and you – would have wanted from it,” the post read. “The team has worked hard to improve stability, performance and general quality of life while delivering three seasons of new content and features. We have also heard your feedback that Anthem needs a more satisfying loot experience, better long-term progression and a more fulfilling end game.”
Hudson went on to express that there’s “still more fundamental work to be done” in achieving Anthem’s full potential, admitting that it would require a “more substantial reinvention than an update or expansion.” He confirms that a full rework of Anthem will be in the works “over the coming months,” describing the effort as a “longer-term redesign” that would “reinvent the core gameplay loop” while “preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting.” To reach this goal, BioWare is said to be “giving a focused team the time to test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first.”
Over the coming months we will be focusing on a longer-term redesign of the experience, specifically working to reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards – while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting. And to do that properly we’ll be doing something we’d like to have done more of the first time around – giving a focused team the time to test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first.”
While it appears it will be a while before fans will see the effects of this upcoming rework, Hudson assures the current version of the game will continue operating in the meantime. “We will continue to run the current version of Anthem, but move away from full seasons as the team works towards the future of Anthem,” Hudson added. “We’ll keep the game going with events, store refreshes, and revisiting past seasonal and cataclysm content – starting with our anniversary towards the end of the month.”
This new statement from BioWare is the first official confirmation of an Anthem rework, but it isn’t the first we’ve heard about the game’s resurgence. A few months ago saw reports of a major overhaul in the works codenamed “Anthem Next”, with developers dedicated to improving the sci-fi experience with drastic and sweeping changes on the level of No Man’s Sky’s NEXT update and Destiny’s The Taken King expansion. Though it remains to be seen what changes may actually take place, it’s nonetheless exciting to see BioWare take the game’s immense feedback into consideration in rebooting Anthem in a (hopefully) more satisfying experience.
Creating new worlds is central to our studio mission, but it’s not easy. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we miss. What keeps us going is the support from players like you. Your feedback gives us guidance on how we can improve, and your passion inspires us with the courage to create. I look forward to working together with your involvement and feedback towards the best possible future for Anthem.”
Anthem is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
What do you think? Are you excited about what BioWare could have in store for Anthem, or is the game too far gone to be improved at this point? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
