BioWare are far from done with Anthem, according to a new report

You'd be forgiven for thinking that BioWare are leaving Anthem to slowly rot, considering Fort Tarsis is filled with bones, and there has been little in the way of new content outside of the recent Halloween event, Season of Skulls. But a new rumour now suggests that BioWare are planning a revival. Much more than the upcoming Christmas event, Icetide, and more akin to "a game-changing expansion like Destiny's critically acclaimed Taken King," sources close to BioWare have described the update as Anthem 2.0 or Anthem Next. A report from Kotaku claims that the update will completely overhaul the game, bringing it more in line with player desires.

Mat Piscatella of Kotaku has explained that this update is still very much conceptual, and BioWare aren't even sure what it will look like at the moment. Apparently the developers are still working out the details, like how Anthem Next will be distributed perhaps in a series of updates similar to No Man's Sky Next and Beyond, or larger yearly expansions.

The report states, "they're even considering releasing Anthem Next as a brand new game," which I don't think is a good idea because current Anthem players have yet to feel that they've played the game they were sold. Piscatella added that he believes it's unlikely that BioWare will charge current players full-price for the update.

With Anthem Next being this in-progress, and yet to be confirmed, there aren't too many specific details about what BioWare are changing. Piscatella explains that there are plans for the update to "overhaul the loot, the quests, the social aspects of the game, the difficulty, the progression system, and the world map."

One source told Piscatella, "we're also looking at breaking up the need to go back to [Fort Tarsis] after every mission" - a change that would avoid the sometimes-twenty-minute detour that is the bane of every player's life when grinding for loot. Another is the game's map, a huge open space made up of smaller inter-connected regions, which sources claim may be reworked into separate areas, making it easier to implement updates and fix bugs.

As you'd expect, EA, Anthem's publisher, have declined to comment on this rumour for the moment, but really they've been completely hands off with the game since the initial backlash from players when it launched.

This rumour, combined with the hint of a Dragon Age 4 announcement next month, might redeem BioWare in the eyes of fans. It certainly would in mine.