Rumor: BioWare Working On A Complete Anthem Overhaul
Anthem, the online multiplayer RPG from BioWare, has had a rough journey. Its rocky reception, paired with the recent departure of high-profile employees, has led some to believe the studio has abandoned the game. According to new intelligence, this could not be farther from the truth.
It seems BioWare and Electronic Arts have spent the last few months developing plans for a complete overhaul of Anthem. The project, described as "Anthem 2.0" and "Anthem Next" does not have a distinct timeline; however, the gears are in motion, with massive changes to the game's mission structure, loot, and world on the way.
This report comes from Kotaku news editor Jason Schreier. Schreier has built a reputation on sharing industry insights ahead of official announcements, placing his latest revelation well within the realms of possibility. His knowledge of Anthem 2.0 was passed on from "three people familiar with those plans," and, while the details remain light, he claims that dozens, if not hundreds, of BioWare employees across their Austin, Texas and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada offices are working on the overhaul.
"We spent a few months just tearing it down and figuring out what needed to change fundamentally (a lot)," said one person involved with the project. "And we've been rebuilding for another few months since."
Anthem flopped following its February 2019 launch due to a host of technical issues, a tedious progression system, and its lack of coherent vision. BioWare later delayed the endgame Cataclysm event before head of live services Chad Robertson announced plans to move away from previously shared updates in favor of long-term fixes. Robertson left the company a month and a half later, following in the footsteps of former lead producer Ben Irving.
Despite speculation from several gamers and news outlets, Schreier assures that BioWare has not abandoned the online shooter. What Anthem will look like when these structure changes go live remains up in the air but there's still hope on the horizon. In the meantime, we'll continue holding out for more details about Dragon Age 4.