BioWare and Electronic Arts publisher are giving up on Hymn. The planned game review of 2019 – known as Anthem Next or Anthem 2.0 – is coming to an end, BioWare said in an update on the status of Hymn. The studio will continue to perform the current live service for Hymn.
“In the spirit of transparency and closeness, we want to share that we have made the difficult decision to interrupt our new development work in Hymn (also known as Hymn NEXT), ”Said BioWare executive producer Christian Dailey in a post on the BioWare blog. “We will, however, continue to maintain the Hymn live service running as it exists today. “
Dailey noted that the COVID-19 pandemic and work at home orders “had an impact on our productivity.”
“I know this will be disappointing for the community of Hymn players who are eager to see the improvements we’re working on, ”said Dailey. “It is also a disappointment for the team that did a brilliant job. And for me personally, Anthem was what brought me to BioWare, and the past two years have been some of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career.
“Game development is difficult. Decisions like these are not easy. Moving forward, we need to focus our efforts as a studio and strengthen the upcoming Dragon Age and Mass Effect titles, while continuing to provide quality updates for Star Wars: The Old Republic. “
BioWare announced in February 2020, a year later Hymn released for a lukewarm response from fans and critics, who planned to redesign the game. The purpose of the review Hymn it was “reinventing the central game cycle,” said BioWare’s then general manager, Casey Hudson. (Hudson has since left BioWare.)
“[We] recognize that there is still more fundamental work to be done to bring the full potential of the experience, and this will require a more substantial reinvention than an upgrade or expansion, ”said Hudson last year. He explained that BioWare was pausing seasonal updates to Hymn focus on “a long-term redesign of the experience, working specifically to reinvent the main game cycle with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with significant rewards – while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science fantasy setting.”
BioWare has released a handful of public-facing status updates on Hymn in the following months. BioWare Austin studio director Christian Dailey told players that the Hymn the team’s work would be “a longer process”, as it went back to the drawing board. Dailey posted two gameplay updates, one focusing on looting and equipment targets, and the other focusing on Javelin buildings. Dailey became the executive producer of the Dragon Age series, replacing Mark Darrah, who left BioWare in December.
Hymn was released on PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One in January 2019.