BioWare"s online action RPG Anthem released just under a year ago, giving players a brand new alien world to explore using Iron Man-like exosuits. However, overall reactions to the title haven"t been positive from both critics and players alike since then. The game"s lead producer Ben Irving also departed from the studio in August last year.
Today, BioWare general manager Casey Hudson took to the studio"s official blog to reveal what the game"s future looks like as the one year anniversary approaches. In the coming months, the studio will be working on a fundamental "longer-term redesign of the experience," as it has come to the conclusion that the game"s shortcomings in the loot experience, progression, and end game aspects cannot be fixed using just updates or expansions.
The studio will be "working to reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards – while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting." Hudson said that unlike the work that was done previously, now there will be a team that will take its time to "test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first."
However, pivoting the development team to making a new experience like this means that Anthem"s current seasonal update approach is coming to an end. Events, store refreshes, and repeats of previous seasonal content will be the only pieces of content the current edition will see while behind the scenes work is being done to revitalize the game.