BioWare confirms it's working on a "substantial reinvention" of Anthem

BioWare has shared its future plans for beleaguered multiplayer shooter Anthem, confirming it's currently in the throes of a "longer-term redesign" that will ultimately deliver a "substantial reinvention" of the core Anthem experience.

Word of a major overhaul for Anthem first surfaced last November, when Kotaku's Jason Schreier reported that plans to radically rework the troubled shooter - into a so-called "Anthem Next" or "Anthem 2.0" - had been on the cards for some time. Eurogamer had previously heard similar word from its own sources.

Now, three months later - and a little under a year since Anthem's rocky launch on Xbox One, PS4, and PC - BioWare general manager Casey Hudson has confirmed those plans in a new blog post. "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," he wrote, "We have also heard your feedback that Anthem needs a more satisfying loot experience, better long-term progression and a more fulfilling end game."

"We recognise that there's still more fundamental work to be done to bring out the full potential of the experience," continued Hudson, "and it will require a more substantial reinvention than an update or expansion".

To that end, BioWare will be focussing on a longer-term redesign over the coming months, with the studio aiming to reinvent "the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards". However, the "fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting" will, says the developer, be preserved.

To achieve that goal, explained Hudson, BioWare will "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." As such, updates to the current iteration of Anthem will follow a different format to that seen previously while the team concentrates its efforts on the overhaul.

Further events and store refreshes are promised, as are returns to previous seasonal content, including last year's much-delayed Cataclysm update. However, the team will "move away from full seasons" as its extensive "reinvention" continues.

"Creating new worlds is central to our studio mission, but it's not easy," concluded Hudson, "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."

Hudson offered no timescale for delivering the Anthem reboot, but did note that existing players could expect to see one-year anniversary celebrations later this month.