When Anthem launched, it seems like an understatement to suggest fans were disappointed. The game missed the mark several times over, resulting in an experience that ended up at the bottom of BioWare's games. However, as with all games, there were still fans—fans who hoped that this planned overhaul, known as Anthem NEXT or Anthem 2.0, would give the game a No Man's Sky-style revival.
EA has since confirmed, however, that the overhaul has been canceled. After reviewing the latest version and/or update of Anthem 2.0, EA has decide to end the project. This means those who have been working on it have been moved to Dragon Age 4, something that may prove beneficial in the long run for it, but it has other implications.
For example, it seems that BioWare may be sticking to its guns for the next decade or so, putting out nothing more than Mass Effect and Dragon Age. While good for many reasons, it also seems to be somewhat limiting for BioWare. That doesn't mean Anthem is dropping off the face of the earth though, and in fact, this cancellation may not be the worst of it.
Anthem: What's Next?
Anthem's future has been effectively neutered. This overhaul doesn't mean support for the original game is over, but since most of the resources available for that were delegated to the overhaul and those were all seemingly sent to Dragon Age 4, there's plenty of reasons to believe that there will no future Cataclysms, much less quality of life updates. What's next for Anthem is inevitably more of the same.
Again, Anthem has a fanbase. Many loved its story, many loved the flight mechanics, and many still play it. There's even a chance that more will play it, given that most physical editions of it are very cheap, but its days are numbered. While it may still have fans playing it, they will eventually move on, and the less there are, this will lead to more and more problems. Anthem has had reported matchmaking problems before, and those will eventually get worse. There's no way around it: as heartbreaking as it for many, this cancellation isn't the end but the start of a downward slide. As its player count dwindles, BioWare and EA will eventually shut down its servers.
Anthem's Servers Are on a Timer
How long until Anthem servers shut down remains to be seen. This news could see players less interested in it, meaning there may be a couple of months at the most. BioWare is still maintaining these servers for now, so for fans who do active play it may even have a year, two, or more. It's really hard to say, but the cancellation isn't the final nail in the coffin for Anthem as it stands, it's just the coffin. Eventually, fans will not be able to play on its servers and when that day comes, many may ask: Could Anthem 2.0 have lived up to the game's original promise?
Anthem 2.0 has been canceled.