Published , by Charles Singletary Jr
Published , by Charles Singletary Jr
As we get a few steps closer to the launch of the multiplayer loot shooter Anthem, EA and Bioware continue to try to shape expectations for the upcoming experience. In the second video from the This Is Anthem series, the team focuses on what players can expect from the endgame.
Throughout Anthem, players will take on missions and raise their Pilot level. The max at launch is 30, but players will be able to continue to upgrade their javelins with higher-level gear that is found or crafted. Once players complete the game's narrative, that is when they'll shift in the endgame and focus on contracts, legendary contracts, strongholds, higher-difficulty dungeons, challenges, Cataclysms, and more. You can read more in the full blog post published by the Anthem developers.
One of the first things that becomes available when players reach Pilot Level 30 in Anthem is a collection of higher difficulties. There are six total, ranging from easy to Grand Master 3. The last three Grand Master levels of difficulty are the ones unlocked at 30 and increase the difficulty of everything in the game. The higher the difficulty the higher the rarity of gear and personalization items found during gameplay.
Finding gear will be key, but players will also need to craft to stay ahead of the pack in the more difficult missions. Endgame missions will yield the pieces needed to create high-level gear after reaching level 30. Another way to gather the pieces is to complete the daily, weekly, and monthly challenges.
Strongholds were available in the recent open beta and gave players a taste of one of the highest-level fixed challenges in Anthem, ending with some top-quality gear if you and your squad can survive it all. Cataclysms are the biggest of the endgame events, changing the game world and unlocking the next step in the Anthem narrative. During these events, players will have to overcome extreme weather, tougher creatures, and new mysteries.
Bioware and EA also revealed the gameplay calender for Anthem, showing that the game will progress over time by having players fight through narrative Acts, the first of which is Echoes of Reality. The first Act will be live at launch and will include two updates before concluding with the Cataclysm in a third update and shifting to Act 2. The first two updates in Act 01: Echoles of Reality are called "Evolving World" and "Stronger Together."
Anthem releases February 22, 2019, on PC, Xbox One, and PS4. Players with EA Access and Origin Access can start playing as early as February 15, 2019. If you want to read up on a breakdown from someone that has actually played a chunk of the endgame, read our full Anthem hands-on preview. Stay tuned to Shacknews for additional gaming and tech updates.