Shortly after the official release of the Cataclysm event, Anthem lead producer Ben Irving announces his intent to leave BioWare and work for another gaming company. Irving stops short of providing an actual explanation as to why he made this decision, but he feels certain that the online multiplayer action RPG's community is in good hands with EA global lead for its community Jesse Anderson and the Anthem global community lead Andrew Johnson.
Irving has worked at BioWare for over 8 years, having been the lead producer on Star Wars: The Old Republic as well as having his hands in every expansion that launched for the game from 2013's Rise of the Hutt Cartel to 2015's Knights of the Eternal Throne. His primary responsibilities on Anthem included the game's combat, enemies, gameplay, progression, and UI.
At the time of this writing, it's uncertain as to whom will assume Irving's responsibilities on Anthem, especially considering that Mark Darrah and Mike Gamble are both currently working on Dragon Age 4. Many may see Irving's departure as a death knell for the game, because while the Cataclysm event is a step in the right direction, leaps and bounds are required to get it where the community, and likely BioWare, want it to be.
The next uncertainty aside from Anthem is where Irving is going. That'll likely be announced in the coming days or weeks, but one remote possibility is The Initiative. Microsoft's secret development team recently hired a former Anthem dev, Ryan Duffin, which has acquired a number of developers with a diverse set of skills. Of course, very few outside Irving himself are likely in the know as to where he is going.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen how Irving's departure will affect Anthem. Both BioWare and publisher Electronic Arts have both echoed a devotion to the game in the pasts months, with BioWare still devoted to Anthem, and EA saying that it'll be something great. So, it'll be interesting to see how these commitments hold up in light of the game's most recent shake-up.
Anthem is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.