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EA Shuts Down Anthem – Another Lesson Ignored by the Gaming Industry
- ShawshankerMage
- Jul 4
- 2 min read
Electronic Arts officially shut down support for Anthem, marking the end of a game that once promised to rival Destiny and redefine live-service RPGs. But Anthem’s failure is more than just a cancelled game – it’s another example of a studio telling gamers what they “should like” instead of listening to what they actually want.
When Anthem was first announced, BioWare pitched it as an ambitious shared-world sci-fi shooter with Iron Man-like flying suits, deep lore, and cooperative exploration. Gamers were excited, but skeptical. Many worried that the live-service model would clash with BioWare’s greatest strength: detailed single-player RPGs with meaningful choices.
At launch in 2019, these fears proved true. The game released with a beautiful world and satisfying flight mechanics, but almost no depth. Missions were repetitive, loot was uninspired, and the story felt thin compared to Mass Effect or Dragon Age. Despite feedback from early testers and reviewers, the developers focused on pushing the live-service design rather than adjusting to deliver the narrative-driven RPG experience fans expected.
For years, EA and BioWare promised reworks and updates. In 2021, the studio confirmed it would stop development on Anthem Next, their planned overhaul, effectively sealing the game’s fate. Now in 2025, its servers are offline and its community is gone.
The lesson here is simple but ignored time and time again: gamers don’t want to be told what they should like. They don’t want “live-service” forced onto games that don’t fit the model. They want authentic experiences built around what makes a studio special. BioWare is known for RPGs with rich stories and character development – Anthem tried to turn them into something they weren’t.
As the industry continues to chase trends, Anthem stands as a cautionary tale. If studios keep ignoring their loyal communities in favor of what marketing says “should” sell, we’ll keep seeing promising titles shut down before they ever reach their potential.
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