Since Anthem first began with its troubled launch in January of 2019, die-hard fans and early supporters have waited eagerly for the game to improve. Some want to see the game reach the mind-blowing potential shown in the reveal trailer long ago, while others are simply hoping that the content-bare game will receive something worth checking out. Oddly enough, it seems a Battle Royale mode is being created - something that no fan likely expected, or is really interested in.

The announcement comes informally over Twitter from Christian Dailey, Studio Director at BioWare Austin for Anthem. The mode, along with another Battlefield-style of match, is only currently usable internally among the team, which according to a recent report, consists of around 30 people.

Of all the possible content that is being developed, even if low on priority, a Battle Royale seems like a strange choice. The genre has become completely saturated with titles and attempting to take a slice of market share from Fortnite, Apex Legends, or Call of Duty: Warzone is a monumental, and almost fruitless task.

The decision is stranger still because a viable Battle Royal mode would need a large player base to keep queue times down and matchmaking somewhat balanced among participants, which is something that Anthem lacks.

One must wonder why exactly a Battle Royale mode would be developed at all, considering the message that the developers have put out this year relating to the complete overhaul of the game. In February, BioWare’s Casey Hudson described the process of moving to Anthem 2.0 as one that would focus on gameplay first, at the cost of regular seasonal updates.

Is a Battle Royale mode something that BioWare considers key to luring back players? That would be hard to believe, but there must be some explanation for the decision to spend any of the little developmental resources available on such a PvP mode.

For now, all we can do is wait and see what happens with Anthem. EA has stated in clear terms that the game will continue forward, bit by bit, and will not be abandoned like Mass Effect Andromeda. However, EA does appear content to provide a tiny pool of developers to the project, so who knows when a revamped Anthem will hit the market.

Source: Twitter.com (@ChristianDailey)

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