BioWare vows to reinvent Anthem in a long-term effort

Legendary RPG developer BioWare has shared the studio’s massive new plan to redesign their failed service game Anthem. The news comes directly from studio head Casey Hudson via an official blog post. According to Casey, gamers can look forward to a far-reaching redesign on the game’s design in the coming months.

The past couple of years have been especially rough for some of the most beloved developers out there. First Bethesda, the creators of the cult first-person Fallout games, experienced a catastrophic launch with the series’ first multiplayer title Fallout 76. Not soon after, BioWare shipped the studio’s arguably biggest disappointment in recent memory with Anthem.

We have also heard your feedback that Anthem needs a more satisfying loot experience, better long-term progression and a more fulfilling end game. So we recognize that there’s still more fundamental work to be done to bring out the full potential of the experience, and it will require a more substantial reinvention than an update or expansion. 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.

For being known best for their exceptionally awesome RPG games like the Mass Effect and KOTOR, the studio’s first attempt at a more action-oriented Games-as-a-Service project was a bona fide flop. It lacked all the charm of the developer’s previous games while also lacking in what makes direct competitors good.

But BioWare isn’t giving up yet. Studio chef Casey Hudson unveiled their plans to redesign and outright reinvent Anthem in a large-scale effort. It’s not out of the question that they succeed, with EA’s other “failed” game Battlefront 2 having managed to win over gamers with similar big changes in the past. So, there is a precedent, at least.

As part of this redesign, Anthem will no longer receive new seasons, so that the team can use all their energy to work on the more important update. if you’re still playing the game, however, you can look forward to continued events.