BioWare kondigt aan Anthem te gaan “heruitvinden”

Na een eerder bericht vanmiddag komt BioWare toevallig zojuist met een verklaring over de stand van zaken omtrent Anthem. Eerder wezen geruchten al op een mogelijke reboot van de hele game, waarbij de ontwikkelaar met een gloednieuwe versie van de titel bezig was. Dit blijkt te kloppen.

Het is wat stil rondom de game en dat komt omdat er op de achtergrond aan een nieuwe versie wordt gewerkt. Die versie zal de basis gameplay op de schop nemen en veel gaan veranderen, zodat de game zal worden wat het altijd al had moeten zijn. De gameplay zal ook veel beter getest gaan worden en dat moet voor een betere ervaring zorgen.

Terwijl BioWare daar mee bezig is, zullen ze Anthem in de huidige staat blijven voorzien van nieuwe content, maar dan wel op een lager tempo. Dus we mogen wat nieuwe evenementen verwachten, alsook eerdere seizoensgebonden en Cataclysm content, die ze opnieuw in de loop gooien.

Hieronder de volledige verklaring van de ontwikkelaar.

Hey everyone!

One year ago, we were preparing to launch Anthem – a game that represented a big leap into new territory for us as a studio. It was an exhilarating and terrifying experience to go out to the world with something new and different, and we are grateful to all the players who have come along with us on the journey. It has been a thrill for us to see the creativity of our players in designing customized Javelins, and watching them master Anthem’s flying and fighting gameplay. I am so proud of the work the team has put into this game, and at the same time there’s so much more that we – and you – would have wanted from it.

Over the last year, the team has worked hard to improve stability, performance and general quality of life while delivering three seasons of new content and features. We have also heard your feedback that Anthem needs a more satisfying loot experience, better long-term progression and a more fulfilling end game. So we recognize that there’s still more fundamental work to be done to bring out the full potential of the experience, and it will require a more substantial reinvention than an update or expansion. Over the coming months we will be focusing on a longer-term redesign of the experience, specifically 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. And to do that properly we’ll be doing something we’d like to have done more of the first time around – giving a focused team the time to test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first.

In the meantime, we will continue to run the current version of Anthem, but move away from full seasons as the team works towards the future of Anthem. We’ll keep the game going with events, store refreshes, and revisiting past seasonal and cataclysm content – starting with our anniversary towards the end of the month.

Creating new worlds is central to our studio mission, but it’s not easy. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we miss. What keeps us going is the support from players like you. Your feedback gives us guidance on how we can improve, and your passion inspires us with the courage to create. I look forward to working together with your involvement and feedback towards the best possible future for Anthem.

Casey