It’s been more than a year since Anthem launched to rapturous applause, earning kudos from across the world as it revolutionised the idea of live service games. Game of the year according to multiple outlets and an entertainment juggernaut which toppled the likes of Apex Legends and Fortnite from their lofty perches, the future looks fantastic for Anthem…if you’re living on Earth-2356, where everything just fantastic.
On this side of the multiverse, everything is not fantastic. Anthem arrived, went bust within a few weeks and was banished to gaming purgatory. Bioware’s massive attempt at regaining relevance bombed hard after launch, with the studio having zero idea of what sunk cost fallacy means and continuing to throw resources at the project as they went back to the drawing board.
The rejiggering is still continuing, with Bioware Austin currently handling the workload on Anthem 2.0 through a dedicated team of developers according to Eurogamer. In new concept art, Christian Dailey, studio director, shared a glimpse at a new pirate faction that’ll menace players:
Other improvements on the horizon include improved matchmaking, with Dailey teasing a new Looking For Group internal feature that’ll come in handy should you wish to tackle a Stronghold mission. Dailey also shared a fresh look at one of the game world areas, with some new art:
Beyond that, Bioware’s Anthem 2.0 team has also tested a few experimental game modes, albeit with the caveat of these features being nothing more than internal pet projects as the studio prioritises other features first. A pity, because Anthem battle royale sounds simply wonderful.
There’s still a long way to go before Anthem’s new and improved version ever sees the light of day. Bioware’s in no rush to get this fix underway, preferring instead to currently get the job done right the first time as a small dedicated team buckles down on fixing one of the highest profile flops of recent memory.
Last Updated: July 27, 2020
Iskape
July 27, 2020 at 08:26
I hope things improve for the franchise. I didn’t mind it, but it wasn’t enough to keep me hooked though! It has potential, without a doubt!
WickedMONK3Y
July 27, 2020 at 09:21
I honestly hope that they can get the flames burning again for Anthem as its currently just embers in a dying braai. The problem here is that they can do as much work as humanly possible and make the game far better than it is now but people might not come back regardless and the player base will remain small, meaning Anthem will eventually just fizzle out.
Kervyn Cloete
July 27, 2020 at 09:21
I want them to succeed coz the basic gameplay of Anthem is fantastic, and it’s a damn cool world. There just wasn’t anything to do in it.
Pofadder
July 27, 2020 at 09:35
How utterly stupid can you be? The Ceo should be fired. They own one of the greatest gaming Ip’s in existence, Mass Effect, and they keep throwing money and resources in this dumpster fire? They should have apologized profusely for Andromeda and delivered the proper AAA Mass effect sequel we wanted and still want on next gen. It will make so much more money than Anthem and will go a long way to getting gamers behind the studio again.