In an interesting turn of events, BioWare has confirmed that they are hard at work on Anthem’s next big change, which sounds like a complete overhaul of the current system in place. The downside? It could still be in very early stages. 

Earlier this year, I was unwavering in my love for Anthem, BioWare’s ambitious always online title that would compete against the likes of Destiny 2 and Warframe, but over the following months, my loyalty began to waver and off I went to bigger as well as better things.

I honestly got to the point I was considering the next piece I would report on after being given the green light for it would be BioWare and EA shutting down the servers, releasing refunds and or some odd apology to make up for the title having failed to meet expectations.

However, if you are willing to take it seriously, Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, a master of catching the latest scoops and news, has reported that BioWare is going all in between both BioWare Austin and Edmonton in order to reboot Anthem into the vision they had originally had when the game was revealed.

According to Schreier’s sources, BioWare is currently working on core issues of the game, a feature that former BioWare developer Chad Robertson had stated the team was hard at work on in their previous September blog post. In his report, Schreier states that the reboot of the currently available title will be called ‘Anthem Next’, but aside from that, not a lot is known about what is actually going on behind the scenes.

Whatever it is, it could be one of several things, you could see No Man’s Sky style patching, which would essentially be the game being patched in as modules, or you could see something equivalent to Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, which fully-overhauled the way fans enjoyed Destiny 2 entirely. The other thing it could be is less likely, but still something worth enjoying: A sequel.

One highlight of Schreier’s report, which we’re taking for a grain of salt until EA and BioWare confirm the news, is that early adopters and current players won’t be expected to pay full price when this overhauled version of Anthem gets released. If the report is true, however, the entire system is getting overhauled and re-worked from the ground up.

This includes loot, missions, open-world mechanics, and even how Fort Tarsis works. Loot and open-world exploration being two central issues that fans have had since the game launched earlier this year. The news isn’t surprising though, EA and BioWare have both stated they are dedicated to the game and are willing to do what they need to in order for the game to succeed.

The news, however, is rather surprising. Even as a former fan of the game, it has felt like it was being put on life support and just awaiting a title like Dragon Age 4 to release in order for fans to completely forget the game ever existed. I’m not shaming EA or BioWare for this incident, but what I am stating is: How can a patch like this reinvigorate the interest of gamer around the world?

There are plenty of heavy hitters already on the market and even heavier hitters preparing to hit the market in 2020. Some of those heavy hitters coming fro EA themselves none-the-less. However, I’m not going to say it’s impossible to bring a shambling corpse back to life. Look at No Man’s Sky. It came back from the brink of extinction and somehow is a thriving game that brings in quite a few viewers on Twitch or Mixer at any given time.

The problem here is that Anthem can’t even bring in more than seven viewers at any given time. Not several hundred or thousand, but seven. Except, I need you to hear me out: This could work, but it’s risky. BioWare was able to bring Star Wars Battlefront II back from the dead, and well, they could very well do it again with Anthem. Fundamentally, the game is a great idea.

Anthem plays as a competent class-based shooter title, one where god rolls on gear is almost as important as gearing up is. Weapons feel great, abilities more-so, and the loot system is actually not half-bad now that they’ve gotten it somewhat balanced. I would be lying if I didn’t say I don’t play it at least once in a while just to see how much work is being done to it, which isn’t much at this point, but if Schreier’s report ends up being true, I’ll be willing to give it a second shot.

My only concern? It’ll be a next-gen focus and EA alongside BioWare is gearing up for that exact approach. They would be better off releasing it on a next-gen platform with better graphics, seamless open-world experiences, and the ability to go into hub-cities without a load screen.

However, I’m not holding my breath, I’m not crossing my fingers. In many ways, I got my monies worth out of the game and I’m willing to wait it out for a sequel or expansion to get announced. Even as a journalist willing to report on it and cover it, I’m still a bit on the offside of this, but I am willing to give them a chance to redeem a game I’d been excited for since it was announced.

You can check out the full rumor from Kotaku and get a feel for the rumored report itself.

Check out more of our guides for Anthem today:

• Anthem: Things you need to know before starting Anthem
• Anthem: Understanding Combos, Primers, and their Detonators
• Anthem: How to become an elemental fury with the Storm Javelin
• Review: Anthem – An amazingly beautiful, and fun adventure

Anthem is now available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

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About the Writer(s):

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook.