There’s no question that BioWare’s latest project, Anthem, hasn’t been in the greatest shape since its release. Despite initial release when it came out earlier this year, the game’s popularity faded off quickly. Now, it’s barely an afterthought, and EA has other big projects like the just released Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. But curiously enough, the developer might be looking at giving it a second life. Today, Kotaku reported that Bioware is plotting a total Anthem overhaul.
What will the “new” Anthem bring?
Jason Schreier talked with three people “familiar” with the overhaul project, alternatively called “Anthem Next” or “Anthem 2.0.” Though details are sketchy at the moment, BioWare is looking into revamping all aspects of the game, and they are considering how they will distribute the upgrades. For instance, the report indicates that the game could see updates on a periodic basis, similar to that of No Man’s Sky. There’s alternatively the possibility of a “game-changing” expansion, like what happened with Destiny and Taken King. There is even a possibility that the changes could take the form of an entirely new game. In any case, Anthem‘s core features, including mission structure and loot, could see dynamic overhauls.
One person inside the project said that the team spent “a few months just tearing it down,” while “figuring out what needed to change fundamentally.” According to them, that’s “a lot.”
Neither Electronic Arts nor BioWare had any official comment on the matter. But it’s very clear that a change is needed in how Anthem works. The game recently dropped to a rock bottom price with some retailers, and sales have slowed quite a bit. So a revamp, or entire reboot, might just be the ticket to bring players back into the fold.
For now, fans will have to wait and see what comes next. Hopefully it’s good news for BioWare, considering its rough year. The developer has surprisingly also started on a new Mass Effect game.
