15 'Always Online' Games That You Can't Play Anymore

3. Anthem

BioWare hasn't had an easy time in the games industry since 2014. Since Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare dropped the misfire that was Mass Effect: Andromeda. Anthem was supposed to change the trajectory of the sinking developer. A new big triple-A IP that was going to prove to everybody that BioWare still has the secret sauce that made them such a beloved developer to begin with. Then, when Anthem launched in 2019, it quickly became clear that this was, in fact, not the same BioWare everybody fell in love with.

Anthem was yet another live service venture set to rival the likes of Destiny and Warframe, only to fall at the first hurdle. The game saw you and two other players take on the role of 'Freelancers', and to this day, it is the closest thing we got to feeling like Iron Man in a game (Marvel's Avengers doesn't count). You would take on quests that helped you learn more about the planet Coda, unlock new equipment to customise your suit of armour and take part in a not-so-interesting story, but a story nonetheless.

After a disappointing launch, BioWare and EA were promising to continue updating Anthem with narrative expansions, the first being "Cataclysms", which didn't go over incredibly well. BioWare later abandoned all future narrative expansions to the game and, in 2020, announced they would completely reinvent the game, akin to what happened with Final Fantasy 14. Only a year later, BioWare announced they would discontinue work on Anthem completely and by early 2026, the servers were shut down for good. But the next Mass Effect will be good, right?

Authored by Matthew Maidment

Contributor

Hey, I’m Matt. I work full-time at WhatCulture's neighbours, MyVoucherCodes. I first joined MyVoucherCodes as a Deals Expert, scouring the internet, leaving no stone unturned in finding the best discount codes, sales and offers for our customers. Moving into my first home during the worst possible time (during lockdown), I understand the necessity of saving money when the purse strings are tight. Outside of saving money, I’m into video games, movies, books and music. I host and edit a video game podcast called The Retry Hard Podcast, where my friend and I go through news, reviews and video games in general. I love movies and watching how they’re made, and I’ve worked as a set decorator for a few months on His Dark Materials season 3, which gave me a massive insight into how it all comes together. I also put out music as a solo artist named Matt Kiano, where I won the award for Best Male Artist of 2025 for Radio Wigwam and have been nomiated for Best Live Act at the 2026 Radio Wigwam Awards.

Posted On: 9th Oct 2026