Anthem Revival: Fans Unite to Restore Lost Game

EA's decision to pull the plug was the culmination of a long and troubled journey for Anthem. Released in 1999, the game failed to meet the publisher's internal targets despite a lengthy development cycle. BioWare attempted to salvage the project with post-launch updates, but ultimately ceased active development in February 2021 to focus on Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Mass Effect 5.

The shutdown process was methodical. Premium in-game currency was removed from sale the previous summer, and the game was simultaneously delisted from the EA Play subscription service. When the servers finally went offline, players were left with no way to access any of the game's content, effectively making it a ghost in the digital landscape.

So, with the game being dead, I think it's the perfect time to take a look at it.

The video released by And799 demonstrates a remarkable technical achievement. While the developer is careful to label it a proof of concept, the footage clearly shows two players successfully joining the same lobby and interacting within the game world. This confirms that a private server architecture is technically feasible for Anthem.

However, the project is far from complete. Critical features like online profiles are currently missing, and the developer explicitly stated that the video does not represent the current progress of the private server project. The community has responded with both excitement and caution, recognizing the immense technical challenge ahead.

• Multiplayer functionality successfully demonstrated
• Online profiles and other features still missing
• Project labeled as early proof of concept
• Community members offering technical expertise

The announcement has galvanized the Anthem community, with comments on the video quickly filling with offers of help and technical expertise. One commenter noted the speed of the development, writing, "It hasn't been a week [since Anthem was taken offline], this is outstanding." This rapid response highlights the dedication of the player base.

Despite the enthusiasm, those involved are tempering expectations. A Redditor participating in the private server project acknowledged the work's preliminary nature, stating, "this is still a really hacky thing so I want to ask people to manage their expectations just a bit. A lot of stuff clearly doesn't work as 'intended,' and definitely needs at minimum, more polish." This honest assessment underscores the complexity of reverse-engineering a commercial game server.

Creating a private server for a game like Anthem involves overcoming significant hurdles. And799 discovered that "the majority of the player data are handled through BioWare's server instead of blaze and it is required for the game to be able to load offline." This means the team must replicate or bypass complex server-side dependencies that were never designed for public access.

The project represents a broader movement in gaming preservation. As publishers increasingly shut down online services for older titles, independent developers are stepping in to ensure these digital worlds aren't lost forever. While the path forward for Anthem's revival remains uncertain, the initial success has opened a door that many believed was permanently closed.

The fate of Anthem now rests in the hands of a dedicated community of developers and players. While the official version is gone, the possibility of a fan-run server offers a glimmer of hope for those unwilling to let the game fade into obscurity. The project's success will depend on continued technical innovation and sustained community support.

For now, the proof-of-concept stands as a testament to what can be achieved when passionate fans refuse to accept defeat. Whether this effort evolves into a fully playable game or remains a technical demonstration, it has already sparked an important conversation about game preservation in the digital age.