On February 24, 2021, Christian Dailey, Anthem 2.0’s lead developer in terms of rebooting the game, announced it was canceled. The writing was clearly on the wall, as just two weeks prior, a report confirmed EA was meeting to decide the game’s future. The announcement came from BioWare, but both companies were involved in the decision to cancel Anthem 2.0 (or Anthem NEXT, as it was called both).
Dailey cited two reasons for the cancellation of the project: the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to focus on making Dragon Age and Mass Effect the best they can be. While the news overall was disappointing, the reasoning behind them can be understood. COVID-19 impacted much of the industry, and many more BioWare fans would not be happy if the new Dragon Age and Mass Effect games suffered. But, still, it seems Anthem 2.0 went to its grave too early.
Anthem 2.0 Had to Live Up to the Original’s Promise
First, it’s worth discussing what was promised and what was received. Fans know that Anthem wasn’t in development as long as many had been lead to believe. Whereas many thought Anthem was in development for years, it was more like 18 months. The belief in BioWare Magic, or the belief BioWare could make magical content in a short amount of time, was the big downfall here, something that many former BioWare devs have criticized. There was a lot to pull apart here, from management issues to EA issues, but the truth behind Anthem isn’t a good look.
But Anthem itself looked so good. The concept and customization of Javelins went so deep that it immediately caught many eyes. Running off a ledge, jumping, and taking to the skies felt so satisfying—this core feature was so well put together. The Javelins themselves, despite a few flaws, were not what brought the game down. A lack of content, the use of Frostbite, a specific lack of endgame content, a real lack of live-service material, a second-rate story, bad loot, general clunkiness, bad communication on content, and more all contributed to its downfall.
But, the core concept—a live-service Iron Man simulator with a BioWare world full of lore, loot, and fun times—was hardly the fault of Anthem's downfall. It had a great core idea once it all came together, but not enough time in the world to do it right. The cancellation ultimately came as no surprise, but had Anthem 2.0 been able to address and fix these things, its success could have followed through. After all, games have achieved redemption before. No one believed Cyberpunk 2077 could after its disastrous launch, but it’s trending positively right now. There are fans who believed in Anthem thanks to its unique core concept; it wasn't its core players who gave up on it.
The Anthem Community is Still Alive Despite All Odds
It’s pretty much impossible to tell how active the game actually is, but eventually, Anthem’s servers will shut down. That will be the final nail in the coffin for a community that still loves the game. The Anthem subreddit is very much alive, with constant posts day after day. It’s certainly not the most active subreddit on the site, but there is some life in the game's community still.
That’s with it in its current state; had BioWare and EA pushed forward with Anthem 2.0’s content, it stands to reason its community would be thriving instead of just getting by. Still, for a game that has no real future, it's a remarkable accomplishment to retain even a remotely active community. Many may have expected Anthem to just drop off the face of the Earth, but it clearly did not, instead lingering in the minds of many gamers and still fostering some community.
Anthem 2.0 – The Coming ‘Iron Man Simulators’ Will Fill The Void
Of course, Anthem in its short time made a mark with its Javelins and in-game flight. That stands out more than its faults, and it’s something other game companies have certainly taken note of. When features are popular, they tend to appear in other games. Soulslike games are a whole genre based on the popular FromSoftware formula, while FPS games have been using other features for years. Right now, even, fans have seen a trend of roguelike and time loop games.
In the next few years, it seems like a safe bet that “Iron Man Simulators” working off on Anthem’s premise will release. If, after one year, it seems clear that the cancellation wasn’t the best choice, then it’ll be certain once other games and companies cash in on Anthem’s core concept and promise.
Anthem 2.0 was canceled on February 24, 2021.