Anthem has had a tough first year since its release in December 2018, but nevertheless it's now gearing up for a holiday Icetide event that will cover the world in snow. The game has already run a test of the event through a Public Test Server (PTS), in preparation for the event's debut in the coming weeks.
Yesterday was the final day for players to check out Anthem's test server, in order to provide Bioware with feedback on what works and what doesn't in the event. However, the limited-time test also gave players a good idea of what to expect when Icetide really does arrive at Fort Tarsis and the surrounding lands.
According to BioWare and EA, Icetide is an event celebrated by the people of Bastion; it's a time "when even the steamy jungles are covered by a blanket of snow, lakes freeze, and ice is harvested for the warmer days ahead." Fort Tarsis itself will be decked out in holiday decor, but of course, Icetide won't entirely be festivities and cheer: this is a shooter, and as EA added, "not – as with all things in the world of Anthem – without its dangers." In the PTS, players got access to the Tyrant Mine Stronghold, which will offer up some new missions for the festive time of year including timers, score multipliers, Inversions, and leaderboards for players to conquer and earn Crystals. Icetide will also bring with it "unique winter-themed rewards," so interested players can bring up their Crystal count to earn them.
In addition, the PTS introduced localized "Snow Globe Storms" for players to deal with, and a new Time Trial race event that spawned every five minutes. And, of course, the promised blanket of snow did indeed cover the PTS's entire map, thoroughly immersing players in a winter wonderland. Neither BioWare nor EA has let slip when the actual Icetide event will begin in-game for general audiences to enjoy, but presumably, it'll be sometime in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Despite Anthem's struggles, BioWare has consistently provided players with events to try out over the last year, the most recent of which happened just last week when several Mass Effect-themed skins were released in Anthem to celebrate N7 Day. Hopefully, the Icetide event will provide a suitably festive atmosphere to celebrate the game's one-year anniversary since release.
Anthem is available to play now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: EA