The initial rollout for Anthem, BioWare‘s online cooperative adventure shooter, was less than ideal.
Gamers were so unenthusiastic about the title that it was sent in for a complete and total overhaul, which was announced back in February of 2020.
Since then, we’ve gotten bits and pieces of concept art from BioWare, but nothing in the way of an official announcement. The overhaul did not even merit a mention from parent company EA when it unveiled its upcoming slate of games.
It seems as though one of the only reliable sources of information on this revamped title has been BioWare Austin’s studio director Christian Dailey. He recently shared some character models for new characters called Pirates of Blood Wind, along with some environments through his official Twitter Account.
It is going well. Hopefully we can spotlight some of the focus areas soon – player autonomy, proper progression (loot/javelin), endgame…and Pirates…. What topics would you like to see? https://t.co/0EK3KzNat1 pic.twitter.com/mbywBumPW0
— Christian Dailey (@ChristianDailey) July 8, 2020
“It’s going well,” he said when someone asked him for an update on Anthem’s incubation. “Hopefully we can spotlight some of the focus areas soon. Player autonomy, proper progression (loot/javelin), endgame, and Pirates.”
A mere 10 days later, Dailey sent out another tweet, showcasing the lair of these new pirates.
Lots of good discussion around our Pirate friends and new factions. We want to share more on factions and the part they play in the future. One common question though is "where do the Pirates live?" Here of course …. Happy Friday all. pic.twitter.com/dhfFvNXGdy
— Christian Dailey (@ChristianDailey) July 17, 2020
“Lots of good discussion around our Pirate friends and new factions,” Dailey said. “We want to share more on factions and the part they play in the future. One common question though is, ‘where do these pirates live?'”
Some might wonder if Anthem is truly worth saving after such a horrible launch. First impressions count for a lot, and the first impressions that gamers had of Anthem were less than enthusiastic to say the least.
However, it should be noted that going back to the drawing board has served other games well in the past. Final Fantasy XIV is currently one of the most popular MMORPGs in the world, but it has a truly disastrous rollout. The game was relaunched with the title “A Realm Reborn” and it has seen untold levels of success ever since.
BioWare also has a history of listening to fan feedback and making adjustments to keep their fanbase happy.
When Mass Effect 3 came out in 2012, its ending left gamers feeling angry, sad, confused, and betrayed. A franchise built on choices and consequences was giving players no choice and showing that there were really no long lasting consequences of their decisions throughout the game.
In response to the extreme negative backlash, BioWare released a free DLC pack that addressed certain concerns over the ending. Extra scenes were added, a conversation wheel was included for the final scene, and epilogues were shown, explaining the consequences of the player’s decisions.
It will be interesting to see if Anthem can yet be saved with this sweeping overhaul.
