It's coming up to almost a year since EA and BioWare released their own take on the still-trending "looter-shooter" sub-genre, in the form of third-person, Action RPG Anthem. Since then, it's been safe to proclaim that the game has not had the best of releases, with middling reviews and a fan-base that have vehemently expressed their disappointment before, during and after the game's release. However, late last year rumors started swirling that the developer -- in an effort to appease the dwindling player-base and in some respects, bolster the team's dwindled reputation as of late -- was planning to overhaul the game. Whether this was a revamp to the game's loot system, a series of major expansions, or even a "version 2.0" reboot of sorts, it remained pure speculation as to what (if at all) BioWare could do to save Anthem.

Today, the developer have broken the silence and have, least for the time being, confirmed that some form of update is in the works. Speaking on the developer's official blog, BioWare General Manager Casey Hudson went into a little more detail on what the future has in store. "There’s so much more that we – and you – would have wanted from [Anthem]," Hudson states. "We have also heard your feedback that Anthem needs a more satisfying loot experience, better long-term progression and a more fulfilling end game.  So we recognise that there’s still more fundamental work to be done to bring out the full potential of the experience, and it will require a more substantial reinvention than an update or expansion.

"Over the coming months we will be focusing on a longer-term redesign of the experience, specifically working to reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards – while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting.  And to do that properly we’ll be doing something we’d like to have done more of the first time around – giving a focused team the time to test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first." Hudson also went on to state that Anthem would ditch the former structure of Seasons, though events and revisits of previous Season's content will continue, as will the base game in its current form. No indication of time, or when players will see the first glimpses of what this "substantial reinvention" will look like, was provided. But with a confirmation that something major is happening behind-the-scenes at BioWare, it will be interesting to see how this new-look Anthem will turn out.