BioWare confirmed the shutdown of Anthem, its ill-fated loot shooter, scheduled for January 12, 2026. Despite its initial potential, the game faced numerous challenges from its conception, failing to align with the studio's RPG strengths. After two years, BioWare abandoned its planned revamp, leading to a combination of disappointment and resentment. Reflecting on the game years later, elements of quality such as character writing and flying mechanics remained, yet the game's legacy stands as a cautionary tale of trend-chasing development.
Anthem was a tragedy of errors. The loot shooter was a misuse of the RPG studio's talents, and from the sound of it, a mess to put together internally.
I recognized it for what it was: a trend-chasing game likely demanded from on high by a publisher looking for its next live-service hit.
But even the worst games don't deserve to be obliterated.
But in the margins, I saw flashes of BioWare's best-in-class character writing, and by god, its flying mechanics still feel pretty incredible in 2025.
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