Anthem: 16 features that won’t be in at launch

The developers at BioWare have received requests from the community about features they’d like to see in Anthem’s launch. Unfortunately not all of them are making the cut. Not yet, at least.

Several Anthem developers have been responding to tweets about the future of the game. In some cases, these tweets shoot down expectations for players hoping to see features in the launch version of the game. In other cases, they’re commending ideas and logging them away for potential future development.

We’ve rounded up 16 developer tweets so players can have a clear expectation of what will (and won’t) make it into Anthem for day one. The developers have listed several changes already in the works.

1. Each Javelin only has one ultimate

Each Javelin only has their stock ultimate. According to Warner, this won’t be any different at launch.

2. Experience isn’t used after level 30

When you reach level 30 in Anthem, you’ll stop using any experience you gain. Irving states that there are uses for experience after level 30 coming to Anthem post launch.

3. Waypoints won’t be in Freeplay

You can get lost in the world of Anthem. Waypoints in the open world won’t be in the game at launch. You’ll have to use your map.

4. Items can’t be re-rolled for better inscriptions

Inscriptions come on every piece of gear in Anthem. These are random effects that can impact you Javelin, changing flight time and weapon damage.

At launch, there will be no way to re-roll these attributes. You’re stuck with the item as-is and the only way to get a better one is to get another drop or craft a duplicate. Irving and the team are looking into potential fixes if players deem it to be a problem.

5. No photo mode available

Anthem won’t have a photo mode at launch.

6. Legendary is the highest rarity at launch

Anthem’s rarities go: common, uncommon, rare, epic, masterwork, and legendary. At launch, nothing will be higher than legendary.

7. BioWare will add elemental weapons after launch

In Anthem, you use gear to prime and detonate combos on enemies. You can do this by applying elements with one piece of gear (a primer) and then detonating with another piece of gear (a detonator). At launch, there won’t be any weapons that apply elements to enemies. But in the future, Irving says that there will be weapons that can’t prime or detonate, but they will do deal elemental damage.

8. Enemies won’t have unique loot at launch

In other loot games like Destiny 2, certain enemies drop specific pieces of loot. At launch, this won’t be the case for Anthem. Every enemy has the same loot pool. Players have asked this question multiple times on Twitter, and Irving suggests in this tweet that they may be adding boss-specific loot after launch.

9. Guilds won’t have their own social space

Guilds are a post-launch feature in Anthem. Even when they arrive guilds won’t have a clubhouse or a social space to call their own.

10. You can’t lock items

Deleting one of your best pieces of loot is a nightmare for any player. At launch, there won’t be any way to lock gear (thus preventing you from accidentally deleting it). You won’t be able to delete anything you have equipped though

11. Post expedition stats won’t be in at launch

At launch, there won’t be any performance statistics (number of kills) shown when you complete a mission. After launch, the development team plans to add information to the game so players can evaluate their performance.

12. Cataclysms are coming in the first Act

Anthem doesn’t have traditional raids like Destiny 2 or World of Warcraft. It will have difficult end-game content meant for max-level players called Cataclysms. The first Cataclysm won’t be available until the end of Act 1, sometime after launch.

13. BioWare will add more Javelins post-launch

Anthem launches with four Javelins: Ranger, Colossus, Interceptor, and Storm. These four classes have their own abilities and play differently from each other. BioWare plans to add more classes in the future.

14. No ability to customize small aspects of the Javelins at launch

Anthem’s customization suite lets players change the armor and the colors of their Javelins. At launch, there won’t be any way to change the Javelin’s visor or thruster color.

15. No competitive multiplayer at launch

At launch, Anthem is a strictly PvE game, which means no multiplayer battles between Javelins.

16. You can’t use different melee weapons at launch

Three classes wield melee weapons in Anthem: the Ranger with a mace, the Interceptor with twin daggers, and the Colossus with a shield. At launch, none of these weapons will be swappable for others. There are, however, alternate melee abilities for certain Javelins.

These features could look different in six months. But for now this list should give players clearer expectations of what the Anthem launch will include.