If BioWare is a pirate’s brig, another crew member has jumped ship during the turbulent voyage through Anthem.
While its gameplay is built around the thrill of fast-paced flight, Anthem continues to limp along. After its rocky launch in February, BioWare has failed to give the live game a compelling endgame..
Last week, BioWare released their attempt with the loot-shooter’s long-anticipated “Cataclysm” update. Fans and critics expected this event would be the game’s equivalent of a raid — a lengthy, challenging multiplayer quest. But, the Cataclysm contained just a few short story missions and an arcade mode. All told, players could blast through the update in a few hours.
The news hasn’t improved this week. Yesterday, Anthem’s lead producer, Ben Irving, announced that he was leaving BioWare in favor of “an exciting opportunity at another gaming company.”
“Since the first time I played Baldurs Gate many many years ago, BioWare was the dream place I always wanted to work,” he said. “I will forever be grateful to all the people who gave me the chance to work on great products with amazing people. I believe Anthem has a bright future – there is a great team working on it and I look forward to following its progress (and playing it!) from the sidelines.”
At this time, Anthem‘s future remains unclear. In April, BioWare announced that the Cataclysm — originally planned for May — had been delayed indefinitely. Anthem is scheduled to continue receiving updates throughout the Cataclysm season. But there is no road map in place for the game’s future beyond that.
Irving’s departure does not, necessarily, mean more trouble for Anthem. But, for the many players that are hoping BioWare can right this ship, it isn’t an encouraging sign.
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