Anthem’s lead producer Mark Darrah answered some fan questions about Bioware’s upcoming online shooter. One topic that came up was crossplay between PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Will Anthem support crossplay? No. Mark Darrah confirmed on Twitter that Anthem will not have crossplay. However, it was notable that the producer referred to the launch of Anthem. So it could be that a crossplay feature will be introduced after the release.
Anthem would be suitable for crossplay between PC and console
Crossplay can be tricky in PvP shooters between PC and console: Especially in shooters, mouse and keyboard control has advantages over controllers with analog sticks. Depending on the settings, the player can react faster, move quicker, and aim more precisely. Therefore, implementing crossplay between PC and console is somewhat tricky for competitive PvP shooters.
Anthem is a purely PvE game: In Anthem, there will be no player-versus-player mode. Here, in terms of fairness, there shouldn’t be an issue offering crossplay. Players will work together as a team against their AI environment.
Why will there be no crossplay at launch?
The reasons from Bioware are currently unknown. There could be several factors at play as to why the developers have initially decided against crossplay between platforms.
There may be technical difficulties: Darrah mentioned in another tweet that there are currently no specs, i.e., technical data, for the PC version of Anthem. So it might still be unclear for Bioware how they could technically enable crossplay.
Sony (PS4) is generally problematic with crossplay: In recent weeks, Sony has come under criticism several times. Crossplay is currently being blocked between the PS4 and other platforms. We reported on Mein MMO for example:
- Sony is blocking crossplay for Paladins
- Former Sony insider explains why PS4 is against crossplay in Fortnite
- Fortnite: Those with a PS4 account cannot play on Switch
It may be that Bioware is still in discussions with the relevant parties Microsoft and Sony. Perhaps Bioware is therefore playing it safe and not announcing anything that is not yet finalized.
What do you think about the topic of crossplay and Anthem? Do you hope it will be introduced after the release?
