BioWare is shifting its development focus on Anthem in hopes of kicking off a “substantial reinvention” that gives the ill-received game a second shot.
Studio GM Casey Hudson unveiled those revitalization plans in a blog post today ahead of the game's first anniversary, confirming reports from late last year that a considerable rework was in the cards.
“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,” writes Hudson.
“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.”
Anthem, as it currently exists, will stay up and running while the team hammers away at that rework. The live version of the game will still offer events and store refreshes in the meantime. Full seasons, however, are on hold in order to better devote development effort toward the redesign, though previous seasonal content will be ‘revisited' in the interim.
“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,” writes Hudson.