BioWare has officially announced that it has canceled additional development on Anthem, including of the full-scale overhaul and redesign project occasionally referred to as Anthem Next. A small development team had till now been laying groundwork for Next, but it will not proceed any further. No new changes or updates will be implemented into the game from here on out. However, players can still access Anthem as it exists now.
Executive Producer Christian Dailey explained that, while the team had been working hard on pushing out multiple updates to improve the game, there had been several roadblocks. He cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a factor since working from home had impacted the team’s productivity. He also explained that “not everything we had planned as a studio before COVID-19 can be accomplished without putting undue stress on our teams.”
Dailey stated that the team was inspired by the positive feedback and reactions to Anthem Next and understands that the Anthem community will be disappointed by the cancellation of further development. However, he explained that BioWare requires “laser focus” on the next Dragon Age game, as well as the Mass Effect franchise, while also updating Star Wars: The Old Republic.
This news comes after Bloomberg reported earlier this month that EA planned to hold an internal meeting to discuss the fate of Anthem Next and whether additional development was still worth pursuing. With BioWare having canceled Anthem Next development today, we now know the outcome of those meetings.
An update on Anthem from Christian Dailey: https://t.co/twmWXAXj3B
— BioWare (@bioware) February 24, 2021
