In less than a year since it launched, Anthem has become something of a disaster for EA. Out of the gate, the game struggled with technical issues and bugs, from inconveniences to glaring issues, like the first gun being as powerful as a Masterwork weapon due to an oversight. However, fans that journey into the game now will notice something pretty strange.
First reported by Kotaku, journeying into Anthem's Fort Tarsis, a sort of base of operations for the player, will reveal holiday decorations strung up on the walls and snow steadily falling on the ground– leftover decorations and effects from Christmas. Now, it's possible that Anthem's version of Christmas is just a much bigger deal than it is in the real world, or it could just be a lack of support. EA didn't even mention Anthem during a recent investor call, so the latter does, unfortunately, seem to be the case.
The decorations are a pretty telling sign of the state Anthem is in right now. Previously, EA had reaffirmed its commitment to Anthem, but the game has still struggled to garner a solid player base or please those that have stuck with it. For now, all fans can do is try and continue to support the game on the possibility that new life is injected into it.
Some reports have indicated that an Anthem overhaul is in the works, completely retooling the game in the hopes of salvaging what's there, though little more has surfaced since the initial leaks. The past few months have seen key developers of the project depart, adding more fuel to the fire overall. It certainly isn't a good look for BioWare, the game's developer, which has battled with a string of negative fan feedback since the troubled launch of Mass Effect: Andromeda.
It's unclear what the future holds for Anthem. Fundamentally, the core flying and shooting in the game are entertaining, though other elements have continued to struggle. At least for now, those that need a little bit of Christmas cheer in mid-February have a place to turn to, until the decorations finally come down.
Anthem is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.