While Anthem was met with a very poor reception when it launched in February 2019, the game received numerous post-launch updates with seasonal events, balancing changes, and new features. There was even a large overhaul update planned called Anthem 2.0, which was eventually canceled, signaling the end of Anthem's lifespan. When Anthem originally launched, BioWare promised a 10-year lifespan that was unfortunately not to be realized. Anthem 2.0's cancellation had a reportedly big impact on BioWare as a whole. Not only did the game's director leave the company, but Dragon Age 4's development was reportedly altered to change the game from a live service model to one of a traditional single-player RPG.
Live service games have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially within the looter shooter genre. Games like Destiny 2, The Division 2, and Warframe already have established player bases while receiving frequent updates and new content. This made it very difficult for Anthem to find a foothold in the genre, especially with its buggy state at launch. Regardless, many think that Anthem 2.0's shuttering has left a void in the genre, primarily due to its unique game mechanics. With no games stepping up to fill that void, and the servers remaining active, Anthem deserves another chance.
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Anthem's legacy is not a favorable one. While many of the game's fans enjoy speculating about what Anthem 2.0 could have been, little of the team's work on the game's rework is known or likely ever will be. This has led to Anthem being remembered mainly for its buggy launch and its inability to find any traction with a larger audience. Many players who remember Anthem look back on negatively, citing its lengthy load times, frequent crashes, and disappointing loot game. With players spending large portions of their game time in menus, it is easy to understand why it did not take off.
However, there was still a lot about Anthem that its players enjoyed as well. One large highlight of the gameplay was its Javelin armor suits that allowed players to fly around, viewing the game's gorgeous scenery from many angles. The Javelins offered a unique way to play the game, with an interesting class system that players could use to thoroughly customize their builds. Many players who tried Anthem also found a lot to love in the game's world and lore. There was a lot of detail in the environments that that helped them feel like a living ecosystem that some players would love to return to. Anthem may have suffered a disastrous launch, but there still was a lot in the game for players to appreciate.
Since Anthem 2.0's cancellation, the game's team was moved to working on Dragon Age 4. Since then, BioWare has released Mass Effect: Legendary Edition while confirming that a new Mass Effect game is in development alongside the new Dragon Age. Many BioWare fans claim that the studio's in-progress games represent BioWare returning to its cornerstone franchises. If this is true, it would mean that the studio is playing it safe for the foreseeable future, doubling down on those two franchises while supporting its MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic.
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The current state of BioWare has many of its fans excited. The success of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition has gamers clamoring for a similar treatment for the Dragon Age trilogy, while others are theorizing over the few released snippets of Mass Effect 4 and how they seem to indicate that Commander Shepard and Liara will return. However, BioWare's move to return to the series that it knows will work could ultimately be a negative for the studio, as more Dragon Age and Mass Effect will see the studio treading familiar ground. While there will undoubtedly be new features and additions to both games, they will still have to follow the conventions of the previous entries in the series, which could prevent BioWare from experimenting like they did in Anthem.
Though Anthem 2.0 will likely never happen, the stage is set for a proper sequel to Anthem its place. When Anthem 2.0 was first announced, many of the game's fans said that an Anthem sequel would be a better approach due to how embedded some of the game's issues were in its core mechanics and systems. This would be one of the strengths of a possible Anthem 2. BioWare would be able to keep everything that worked about the first game, such as its flying gameplay, its detailed world, and its combat, while also fixing many of the core issues that hampered the experience for so many players.
Gamers would surely like to see Anthem 2 change a lot of things about the first game, something that would have the opposite effect that Mass Effect 4 and Dragon Age 4 are having. An Anthem sequel would encourage the developers to try new things and experiment with what a live service looter shooter could be, allowing the game to stand out from established titles in the genre. Anthem 2 would also be a major change from the other games that BioWare has in development, allowing its teams to work on a different kind of game and experiment with different systems and conventions in the live service genre. A proper sequel could allow the studio to deliver on Anthem's original promises in 2017, allowing Anthem to make a major comeback.
Of course, there is no way of knowing whether or not BioWare will return to the world of Anthem. With Mass Effect 4 and Dragon Age 4 both undergoing development, it will likely be at least a few years before fans get a look at what BioWare has planned beyond those two titles. Hopefully, the studio will still be willing to experiment and try new things despite its experience with Anthem. Regardless, there is plenty of hype surrounding Mass Effect 4 and Dragon Age 4, so BioWare is likely doing just fine.
Anthem is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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