The development of the beleaguered multiplayer shooter Anthem’s major overhaul – also known as ‘Anthem Next’ and ‘Anthem 2.0’ – has been officially halted, according to BioWare, and the studio is now focusing on the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect games.
Anthem 2.0 was officially announced last February – a little less than 12 months after the rocky launch of the game on Xbox One, PS4 and PC – with the aim of enhancing the underlying experience through more satisfying loot, better long-term progression and more fulfilling endgame.
“We realize that more fundamental work needs to be done to reach the full potential of [Anthem], “BioWare allowed during the unveiling of 2.0,” and it will require a more substantial invention than an update or extension “.
Anthem – Cataclysm Gameplay Trailer.
Since then, a team of about 30 people at BioWare Austin, the studio responsible for Star Wars: The Old Republic, has continued to work on the renovation project, dropping the new features for the community along the way. Recently, fans have been looking at a new and improved exterior system, as well as a new Destiny-style user interface.
According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, EA held a meeting earlier this month to review work on Anthem 2.0 and ultimately determine the fate of the project. Following the process, the development team has now been informed that they will be working on Dragon Age 4.
In an official statement on the BioWare blog, Anthem executive producer Christian Dailey confirmed the news, writing: “In the spirit of transparency and closure, we wanted to share that we have made the difficult decision to discontinue our new development work at Anthem . “
The decision to halt the development of Anthem 2.0 seems to stem, at least in part, from the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As Dailey puts it, ‘working from home during the pandemic has had an impact on our productivity and not everything we planned before COVID-19 as a studio, without putting unnecessary strain on our teams.’
“To move forward,” Dailey continued, “we need to focus our efforts as a studio and strengthen the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect titles, while continuing to update quality on Star Wars: The Old Republic.”
“To the Anthem community, thank you for your passion and creativity,” he concluded. “Your feedback and suggestions definitely help shape the direction of the team, and on a personal note, your kindness and encouragement was much needed last year.”
Although Anthem’s long-in-the-works renovation is no longer there, Dailey says the studio will continue to keep the game’s live service going ‘as it exists today’.