Talk of universal cross-play across all platforms and live "games as a service" have been two of the biggest topics discussed in games as of late. With hits like Fortnite and Rocket League pushing the competitive envelope of cross-play, and Sony finally breaking down barriers to begin including the feature, the future of online gaming looks to be heading in the right direction when it comes to breaking down the barriers of hardware. With Bioware's highly anticipated release of Anthem coming in a few months, there's a chance of cross-play coming to game as well, though it won't be available for some time if it does.

As reported on by GameInformer, Executive Producer for Anthem Mark Darrah responded to a fan's question pertaining to cross-play, and whether or not their upcoming release would be including the feature. Darrah vaguely answered, stating there wouldn't be a day-one option for it.

Here's the exchange on Twitter:

It's been clear from recent developer interviews that Bioware is open to adding any gameplay features it can as part of its post-launch support plans. Seeing how Anthem's live service model will include a blend of adding new content and gameplay tweaks influenced by community feedback, it's likely the option for players to connect across different systems will be discussed frequently on forums and FAQ pages once the game has released.

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While players wait for the official launch of Anthem, some will get their chance to try out the game in the near future. Closed alpha dates for Anthem have been announced, and are arriving in early December as the first opportunity for public testing. Bioware has already spent plenty of time showcasing gameplay demos that go into further detail about aspects such as matchmaking, and the major differences between each of the game's four unique javelin suits, so being able to finally give a time frame for gameplay testing is a huge step in its development process.

Bioware has also gotten ahead in making sure it doesn't repeat the same mistakes other titles have made when it comes to microtransactions and paid DLC. Anthem has already been confirmed to be offering all of it's post-launch content free of charge to those who own the game, while it's also be announced the game will not include any loot box purchasing options, something games such as 2017's Star Wars Battlefront 2 feel victim to.

Anthem launches on February 22nd, 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Source: GameInformer