Some recent news out of EA regarding the state of Anthem has some fans concerned that the publisher might be ready to pull the plug on the online title. This comes ahead of the promised Anthem 2.0 overhaul that BioWare had promised to fix many of the game’s issues, making good on the hype that had preceded its launch in 2019.
Now that EA is suggested to be on the fence about the future of Anthem, this might be a good time to look back at the current state of the game and see what is worth keeping, and what should be changed or scrapped entirely. Considering the messy launch of Anthem, as well as its current state, there is plenty of reason for BioWare to cut its losses and focus on titles that could use the attention.
One clear reason why EA may be re-approaching Anthem‘s fate is that revitalizing the game would be an uphill battle against the original’s legacy of disappointment. Looking at similar cases like Fallout 76, which launched with more and arguably worse glitches than BioWare’s first attempt at an online service title, it’s clear why Anthem has struggled. The broken state of a release can keep a game from ever hitting the heights that fan hype had anticipated. At this point, the effort it will take to get players to give Anthem a second chance might not be worth the minor rewards of the new and returning players excited to see the overhaul.
Beyond the bugs that came with the game’s launch, its the approach on Anthem‘s endgame that caused more player base decay than anything else. The Javelins themselves are satisfying to fly around the map with, and the gunplay is compelling, but players run out of things to keep them engaged shortly after completing the main campaign. This is the unfortunate position that BioWare is currently in, with a game often criticized for lacking early polish, as well as lacking a proper endgame that would require extensive additions in the overhaul.
On the flip side, while it will be undoubtedly difficult selling Anthem to new players, the game’s existing community continues to enjoy the game and is hopeful for what the overhaul could bring. Since the number of concurrent players has been consistently low, new content has been slow to appear in the game to keep players interested for extended periods. Many of the players that jumped into the original game are now waiting for the overhaul to deliver Javelin improvements, loot system revamps, and new mission diversity.
While it might be difficult to get new players interested in the game, longtime fans are still interested in seeing what the Anthem 2.0 overhaul could do for the existing community. Anthem‘s community may be relatively small, especially in comparison to more successful titles like Destiny 2, but it could still be worth hanging onto the community foundation that remains. That being said, an overhaul of the current game might not be enough to make up for the losses that BioWare and EA have seen as a result of continuing to pursue Anthem‘s potential.
Many of the issues that plagued the initial launch of Anthem aren’t the type that can be easily fixed by patching up some of the leaky spots here and there. One of the key disappointments of the game comes down to direction and design, specifically how almost every puzzle and combat encounter had been approached. This has led many fans to believe that Anthem 2.0‘s fixes won’t be enough. The number one complaint that BioWare has to address is the lack of variety in most encounters, which take some form of “sit behind cover and shoot.”
A better use of BioWare’s time and EA’s funding may be to move on from the Anthem 2.0 overhaul and instead focus simply on an Anthem 2. Without the original maps and enemy encounters to hold the new game back, the developer could focus on making sure that the variety of levels and enemies are more satisfying to fight. Of course, this isn’t some small task to ask of the developer, and surely wouldn’t be cheap on EA’s part. However, it could be the best way to direct BioWare’s focus towards trying to make compelling content the studio has proven to be capable of.
While the systemic problems apparent within Anthem‘s endgame seem too large to fix, even with a complete overhaul, other games have proven successful after worse launches. The most obvious title that comes to mind from the last few years is what originally released as Final Fantasy 14, before re-launching as Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn. This was a game that launched in such a broken state that Square Enix had to issue refunds, and servers had to be taken down shortly after being made available to the public.
It took a lot more than a new coat of paint and some patches to revive the game, but if Anthem can learn from Final Fantasy 14, then there could be a chance for BioWare to regain some ground. Even after a horrific launch, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn and its expansions have become one of the most influential MMOs in the genre. While it’s a difficult task, with a number of hurdles needing to be tackled on multiple levels, there is always the possibility that the effort being put into Anthem‘s overhaul won’t be for nothing.
The biggest elephant in the room when it comes to deciding whether or not EA should consider pulling the plug on Anthem 2.0 is the prospect of the epic-fantasy title Dragon Age 4, and the sci-fi adventure of Mass Effect. BioWare has already announced that both of these titles are currently in development, and attention seems to be split between these two new titles already. If the upcoming Anthem overhaul continues to split developer focus, then another Mass Effect: Andromeda launch could occur right around the corner.
Now EA has to decide whether or not to continue with Anthem‘s overhaul, or if BioWare should ditch Anthem 2.0 and instead focus on the continuation of its two most successful franchises. There is still promise for the developer not to pull out of Anthem, but as far as the publisher is concerned from a business standpoint, it might not be worth the risk. BioWare may already be on thin ice due to the botched releases of Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem, which could mean that making sure the next games launch smoothly could make or break the company.
Anthem is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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