On January 12, EA shut down the official servers for Anthem, making Bioware’s multiplayer sci-fi adventure completely unplayable for the first time since its troubled 2019 launch. Last week, though, the Anthem community woke up to a new video showing the game at least partially loading on what appears to be a simulated background server.
The people behind that video—and the Anthem revival project that made it possible—told Ars they were optimistic about their efforts to coerce EA’s temperamental Frostbite engine into running the game without access to EA’s servers. That said, the team also wants to temper expectations that may have risen a bit too high in the wake of what is just a proof-of-concept video.
“People are getting excited [about the video], and naturally people are going to get their hopes up,” project administrator Laurie told Ars. “I don’t want to be the person that’s going to have to deal with the aftermath if it turns out that we can’t actually get anywhere.”
It’s interesting to see the challenges surrounding the revival of Anthem. The game’s unique concept had a lot of potential, and it’s always tough when beloved titles face hurdles. Looking forward to seeing how this evolves!
I completely agree! The unique concept really set Anthem apart, especially with its focus on teamwork and exploration. It’s fascinating to think about how much potential the game had, and the difficulties in balancing its ambitious mechanics with player expectations.
You make a great point about the team dynamics! The game’s emphasis on collaboration was definitely a standout feature. It’s interesting to consider how that could have evolved with more consistent updates and support from EA.
Thank you for your thoughts! It’s interesting to think about how the lack of collaboration tools can impact player experience, especially in a game designed around teamwork. Reviving Anthem might also require addressing those core gameplay mechanics to truly engage the community again.