Casey Hudson, the General Director of BioWare, has officially announced that the companies upcoming game Anthem has hit it's Alpha phase.
Hudson, known for his monthly postings on the status of the game, has released a blog post about the Alpha process for the game, along with a statement that the game has hit this major milestone after its near five years of development.
"Last week, the Anthem team passed its Alpha milestone – meaning that every part of the game is in, and functioning." said Hudson. He goes on to tout how fun the game has been to play, and how members of the studio, along with partnered studios under EA, have been enjoying the experience for themselves.
"BioWare games have always been about capturing a shared experience – whether through a party of fictional characters or other players – and somehow the idea of players being immersed together in the universe of Anthem makes the setting seem even more real." said Hudson.
Hudson spends most of the blog reminiscing on his nearly 20-year career with BioWare, which started in September of 1998, just as Baldur's Gate was set for release. He describes the energy players had for Baldur's Gate to be similar to the energy they have for Anthem. "These days the energy around the office feels a lot like it did back then on Baldur’s Gate, where the team is starting to get a sense of the magic they’ve created together and there’s a growing excitement about finally releasing it into the world," said Hudson. "There’s a ton of work ahead, but everyone knows what they need to do and is working with a level of passion and effort that’s truly inspiring."
The current plans for Anthem are polishing and bug-fixing, a process the game will go through as it winds down its alpha phase. The team is also promising a public demo around February, although no official date has been made at this time.
Anthem has gained more traction over the past few months, with BioWare going into overdrive to answer questions regarding the game. For months, Executive Producer Mark Darrah and Lead Producer Mike Gamble have been answering questions via twitter, and even did a live panel of twitter questions at PAX West. BioWare also showed off their 'Our World, My Story' trailer, and had a panel at PAX West that discussed the trailer and plans for the game in greater detail.
Anthem is currently scheduled for release on February 22nd, 2019, and will be available for the PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
What are your thoughts on Hudson's blog? Looking forward to more progress reports on Anthem? Leave your comments below.
