For many Bioware fans out there, Anthem was perhaps the most disappointed release of 2019. It released half-baked, with little to none of the promised features, bugged and unsatisfying loot, a non-story, and hardly any interesting content. The game was (rightfully) raked over the proverbial coals upon release and largely abandoned by gamers only a couple of months later.

Bioware tried their best to keep the game alive for the core fanbase that stuck around, but the eventual removal of the game’s roadmap from the website seemed to confirm that even they had given up on making Anthem work. That is, until they finally broke their silence earlier this week. Bioware’s general manager Casey Hudson published a post on the Bioware blog, basically stating that the studio still has plans for Anthem.

He didn’t really get into specifics, but did give readers a basic idea of the studio’s plan moving forward. Anthem in its current state will continue to be supported with store refreshes and the events seen in past seasons of the game. Behind the scenes though, it seems Bioware will be working on rebuilding Anthem from the ground up. According to Hudson, some of the areas they’ll be focusing on will include: the core gameplay loop, delivering clear goals, offering interesting challenges, and providing satisying, long-term progression.

Maybe they’ll be able to pull it off, and maybe they won’t. We’ve seen games like No Man’s Sky reinvent themselves and make a comeback, but it’s no guarantee. Either Bioware will be able to whip Anthem into a good-enough state to bring fans back, or they won’t. Hopefully they’ll be able to pull it off. I’d hate to see BioWare end up on EA’s hit list.

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What do you think of this? Do you think Anthem can manage a second chance?

Lede image from Bioware Blog