'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Electronic Arts, Inc. is rumored to be holding a meeting later this week to decide Anthem's fate. The massive looter shooter multiplayer was developed by BioWare, a studio well known for its Mass Effect series and Dragon Age franchise.
According to a Bloomberg news report, there is a chance of EA expanding the Anthem team or shelving the game altogether.
The game was launched with numerous issues. While the developers were planning an extensive overhaul, fans and critics were yet to see anything substantial.
Titled Anthem Next, the overhaul has been in the works for the past year-and-a-half. EA now wants to review the process and decide whether to move forward with the overhaul or stop it permanently.
BioWare Austin's executive producer Christian Dailey became the face of Anthem Next. In essence, the overhaul was supposed to be a do-over for Anthem.
BioWare even issued a statement last year regarding the development of the overhaul. Dailey, in a blog post, wrote,
"The Anthem incubation team has kicked off and we are starting to validate our design hypotheses. Incubation is a term we use internally – it essentially means we are going back and experimenting/prototyping to improve on the areas where we believe we fell short and to leverage everything that you love currently about Anthem."
BioWare Austin mentioned some changes that the team was considering for Anthem Next. The overhaul included updating weapons, loot drops, the Javelins, skill tree changes etc. Basically, a top-to-bottom overhaul of Anthem.
EA has so far refused to comment on the report.
What do the fans say about Anthem?
It's no secret that Anthem didn't do well. Fans weren't thrilled with how things turned out. As the game faced uncertainty, fans voiced their disappointment and anger towards EA.
One Twitter user commented,
"I would say for them, it's time to move on. They have more important projects to work on. This one unfortunately tanked, sometimes new IP's just don't work, and the way they approach to fix it, wasn't enough to keep people interested. I do miss the flying mechanics though. "
With Mass Effect: Legendary Edition set to be released in a few months, it's up for debate whether fans would indeed even care for an overhauled version of Anthem.
The original Mass Effect Trilogy spanned nearly half a decade and was met with massive support from fans and critics alike for its rich storytelling and outstanding gameplay.
Here are a few reactions to the Mass Effect Legendary Edition reveal trailer:
As of now, scrapping Anthem Next is all just speculation. However, with Mass Effect around the corner, things can go in either direction. With minimal support from fans and gamers, only time will tell how this pans out.
