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Anthem Shuts Down: The Rise and Fall of BioWare’s Most Ambitious Flop
July 5, 2025Remember Anthem? Yeah, it’s okay if you don’t. That was BioWare’s big swing into the world of shared-world shooters—a bold, Iron Man-esque RPG that promised to rewrite the rulebook. But now it’s official: Anthem is shutting down next year. A bittersweet (mostly bitter) farewell to what was supposed to be BioWare’s next big universe. Let’s break down how we got from E3 cheers to server doomsday.
The Hype That Was Too Big to Handle
When BioWare Anthem was first revealed at E3 2017, jaws dropped. Seriously—between the flight mechanics, deadly weather effects, and sleek-as-heck Javelin suits, fans expected the next-gen evolution of what a co-op shooter RPG should be. Anthem was being compared to Destiny—a lot—but with the BioWare punch: deeper story, RPG systems, and meaningful co-op experience.
It was EA’s shiny new answer to the booming trend of shared-world multiplayer games. Jeff Kaplan was probably sweating… a bit. Anthem’s demo had us flying, shooting, looting—and for a hot second, dreaming. But then the release came in early 2019… and reality hit faster than a Colossus boost to the face.
The Launch — From Epic to Eh?
On paper, it had everything. Fancy combat, a gorgeous world (Fort Tarsis, anyone?), and the ability for friends to squad up in seamless co-op multiplayer. But “on paper” only gets you so far. What players got felt rushed — grindy missions, painfully slow loot drops, clunky menus, and, perhaps worst of all, almost no BioWare-grade storytelling. Sure, the flight felt amazing (it still does, honestly), but the game loop? Repetitive. The content? Thin. The servers? Wobbly. Even the much-teased endgame was… well, nonexistent. It became quickly clear: Anthem was a beta in full-priced disguise. Players weren’t just disappointed — they were furious. And it showed.
Post-Launch Panic and ‘Anthem NEXT’
To BioWare’s credit, they didn’t walk away immediately. In fact, EA gave them the green light for a full overhaul dubbed “Anthem NEXT.” The plan? Rebuild major systems while keeping the flight and combat intact. Lead designer Christian Dailey promised transparency, better loot, smarter AI — all the good stuff. For a brief moment, the spark returned.
But here’s the thing about live-service rescue missions: they rarely work, especially when the player base has already clocked out. As months turned into years, updates became infrequent. Players left. And BioWare had to divide their dwindling attention between new Dragon Age and Mass Effect projects… and Anthem. Guess which ones got priority?
EA Pulls the Plug: No More Flight Checks
Earlier this week, EA confirmed what most fans expected: Anthem servers will shut down in early 2025. There’ll be no revival, no final hurrah. Just a quiet unplugging of the servers that once hosted some of the best aerial combat any loot shooter offered. The digital storefronts will also gradually delist it, so if you *really* want to experience Anthem before its curtain call, you’ve got a time limit now.
EA cited “shifting priorities” and “limited engagement” in their official statement, which PR speak for: nobody’s playing and we’ve got bigger fish to fry (like Apex Legends and single-player bangers). What’s wild is that Anthem still had potential buried under its disappointing shell—and those suits still move so buttery smooth it makes Iron Man blush.
A Tragic End for a Game That Could’ve Been
Anthem won’t just be remembered as a failed live service game but as a cautionary tale. When you chase trends without the heart (or the dev time) to back it up, gamers notice. Fast. BioWare’s strength has always been characters and story, not loot showers and timed events. Anthem was beautiful but soulless — a Ferrari with no engine.
Still, credit where it’s due: few games looked this good and flew this fun. But good looks alone don’t foster a loyal community, and players dipped before Anthem even got a second chance. The end of Anthem isn’t just a shutdown—it’s a harsh spotlight on how hard it is to break into the saturated, ruthless space of multiplayer shooters in 2024.
So, as we prep to say goodbye to the last lonely freelance flights through Bastion, let’s raise a glass to what Anthem almost was. And maybe, just maybe, BioWare learned something before they headed back to space with Mass Effect.
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