Forget Dragon Age and Mass Effect 5 for a minute, this Anthem dev would "love" another shot at BioWare's doomed co-op game
Oct. 27, 2024The live service flop still has fans out there
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Dragon Age: The Veilguardand, to a lesser extent,Mass Effect 5might be front and centre in everyone’s minds right now, but Anthem’s lead producer would “love” to return to the studio’s failed live service game.
In hindsight, Anthem’s doomed release should have been obvious to everyone involved. SomeBioWarefans were already trepidatious about the storied RPG studio pivoting into live service, co-op focused, looter shooter territory with a game that had way more in common with Destiny than Mass Effect.Reports of a troubled developmentraised more eyebrows. And then, of course, the game itself launched with long load times, technical troubles, and divisive combat involving you and other exosuited Iron Man-y friends saving a lush alien planet.
Whatever crowd the game attracted on release day didn’t last too long, prompting the studio to go back to the drawing board with a massive update, re-release thingy tentatively calledAnthem Next, whichpublisher EA eventually shot downso BioWare could make safer hits with sequels to Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
So, yes. Anthem is in the rear view mirror for the studio that’s continuing to work on the same two series it created two console generations ago. But that doesn’t mean Anthem’s been completely forgotten, either.
Ben Irving, who worked as the co-op shooter’s lead producer and has since left to join Tomb Raider stewards Crystal Dynamics, recentlytweetedthat he’d “love to reboot Anthem one day” in response to an online fan who was still blasting alien mechs in the game. “It’s amazing how many people are still so enthusiastic about Anthem so many years later,” he latersaid. “Anthem still has all the potential in the world…”
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Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that’s vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he’ll soon forget.
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