E3 2018: BioWare's Anthem Is Set In An Evolving World

BioWare revealed a ton of new information about its upcoming IP Anthem during EA's pre-E3 2018 press conference. The Destiny-esque shooter is slated to launch for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 22, 2019, and now we've gotten a better look at its mysterious setting and how progression works.

As BioWare previously revealed, Anthem puts players in the role of Freelancers--individuals who pilot powered exosuits known as Javelins. There are four types of Javelins available and they'll be fully customizable. Players can fly these Javelins freely out into Anthem's world to take on missions. Despite being designed to be played with allies, the game can also be completed solo--although you will need to have a persistent internet connection regardless of how you play.

Anthem takes place in a dynamic world that's built around a core narrative. Freelancers are the guardians of the rest of the human population. They venture into a dangerous world, described as being "abandoned by the gods," to fulfill contracts, complete missions, and handle threats.

Whenever the player returns to the main hub, they'll witness the effects of the choices they made and experience the next stage of Anthem's narrative. This is where most of Anthem's story exists. Exploring the world will be more of a social experience; players will experience the same weather patterns and day/night cycle, as well as see the same wandering enemies and detailed environments.

BioWare promised Anthem will get plenty of updates post-launch. Some will be gameplay related, as the world will reshape and change in response to new developments over time. Others will be story-driven updates. BioWare says it has built a world where players interact with characters that they'll fall in love with, and lead writer Cathleen Rootsaert wants players to have new experiences with those characters over time.

We'll have more details on Anthem this week as E3 unfolds. You can read more about the game--and other news from EA's E3 briefing--in our recap of all the announcements from EA Play. For our full coverage of the big event, be sure to visit GameSpot's E3 2018 hub to follow along with all of the biggest news from the show.