Actually, there shouldn’t be a social hub for Anthem where players can see and meet each other outside of missions. In a short announcement, BioWare now declares on Twitter: “We have a social hub!”
On Twitter, Lead Producer Michael Gamble announced that Anthem is getting a social hub. This news comes as quite a surprise, as there was supposedly no social hub planned for Anthem. This had been repeatedly criticized by the community.
Social Hub is a major fan request: Players have long requested a social hub, as they are used to them from games like Destiny or The Division. Shared-world shooters are designed for group play.
In a social hub, players can meet other players and observe or interact with them without immediately pulling out their weapons.
Surprising announcement: After a lot of fan feedback and a hint from BioWare, it was expected that the social hub might come at some point. However, that such an important and highly desired feature is being casually announced on Twitter is indeed a big surprise.
What you can do in the social hub “Launch Bay”
After a mission, you can either head to Fort Tarsis, the single player hub, or you can go to the “Launch Bay”. This will be the multiplayer hub where you can see your fellow players. Here you can:
- just hang out together to chill
- use the forge to manage your Javelins and loadout
- accept new missions in the form of Contracts
- interact with a total of 16 players
More information about the social hub is not yet known. However, new info is expected soon.
Is the social hub already in the demo? No. You cannot access the Launch Bay in the two demos yet. However, the Launch Bay should be available at the release of Anthem. BioWare states that there must be something for players to look forward to on February 22. That is the release day.
Here you can find all the information about the Anthem demo.
Social Hub planned for a long time?
Developer hinted at social hub already: BioWare has been asked often about such a social feature. Gamble responded to one of these inquiries with: “We hear you loud and clear.” This led to speculation that Anthem would at least add a social hub at some point.
Social hub developed at short notice: On Reddit, a BioWare employee spoke up. They did not have the social hub on the back burner. The introduction of the Launch Bay would be a reaction to a lot of community feedback.
It looks like the social hub was actually not originally planned.
How are the fans reacting? The reactions under the tweet are already massive just minutes after publication. Future players of Anthem are grateful and simply happy that they are getting this feature.
