Electronic Arts is scheduled to hold a meeting this week regarding the future of its online multiplayer game, Anthem (via Bloomberg).
The game launched in February 2019. Now, two years later, Bioware’s online RPG is facing the heat. When it launched, it was met with resounding criticism. Unfortunately, not much has changed since. Despite the team attempting to overhaul the experience after launch, the game’s fate now lies with EA. The game’s executive producer, Christian Dailey, left Bioware back in December 2020, meaning it’s not looking good for Anthem.
When Will EA Decide What To DO With Anthem?
EA’s upcoming meeting will have executives review Anthem’s latest version in a bid to decide if the series should be abandoned. Anthem “Next” has a team of 30 people, in which Bioware previously claimed would need to “triple” in size if Anthem was to be overhauled. There’s currently no indication on whether EA would make such a financial decision, especially to revive a game that failed two years ago (via Bloomberg).
What Can We Expect?
However, this type of recovery process has become commonplace in the industry for failed AAA titles. No Man’s Sky went through a transformative process, after initially failing to meet its launch expectations. And we all know about the failings of Cyberpunk 2077. Even now, it’s still riddled with bugs and is currently undergoing patches to bring the game up to standard.
Whether or not EA will view Anthem’s redemption as an investment is yet to be seen. Bioware is already working on the next Dragon Age game and probably has other secret projects under its belt. Considering that Anthem is currently Bioware’s worst-rated game, it’s hard to see why the team would divert its focus away from future projects.
Perhaps Bioware’s original vision for the game will save it. The developer had previously claimed that it wants Anthem to be around for a long time, with Bioware boss Casey Hudson saying that they want Anthem’s world to “grow, evolve, and thrive for years to come”.
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Featured Image Credit: BioWare/EA