Anthem (video game)

Anthem is a 2019 action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts.

Anthem is a 2019 action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. Set in a shared online science-fantasy world, it follows Freelancers who use Javelin exosuits to explore, fight hostile creatures, and complete missions. The game received attention for its flight-based combat and cooperative multiplayer design.

Gameplay

Anthem centres on combat and exploration using customizable Javelin exosuits, which give players flight and varied combat abilities. Players control Freelancers, mercenaries who wear these exosuits. The game combines third-person shooting with role-playing and loot-based progression. It supports cooperative play for up to four players and is an always-online, shared-world experience.

Setting and story

The game is set in a science-fantasy world shaped by the Anthem of Creation, an energy source linked to unusual technology, storms, and hostile creatures. The world features unstable relics and phenomena tied to the Anthem of Creation. The story takes place on a fictional planet often identified in sources as Coda, with the official lore centering on the Anthem of Creation. The main narrative involves a Freelancer opposing the Monitor’s attempt to control that power.

Development and release

BioWare developed Anthem and Electronic Arts published it. BioWare is a Canadian studio based in Edmonton, Alberta, which makes Anthem notable to Canadian readers as a major Canadian-developed AAA video game. The game was released in February 2019 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, and uses the Frostbite engine.

Reception and legacy

Anthem drew attention for its ambitious multiplayer structure and mech-suit traversal. Later reporting noted that its always-online design made it unplayable after server shutdown. The game was designed as an always-online, shared-world experience.