BioWare Veteran: Anthem Took Years to Embrace Its Identity as a Looter Shooter

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“Destiny is a much more direct comparison,” Darrah added. “Both are shooters and both revolve around loot. Diablo, on the other hand, is effectively a ‘looter-sworder’.” He warned that modeling a new IP after a series with such a massive legacy is risky, as Diablo’s established reputation gives it the freedom to deviate from modern expectations in ways a new title cannot.

While Diablo’s influence is detectable in nearly every loot-driven game—from Borderlands to Destiny—it remains its own distinct entity. Blizzard’s masterpiece carved out its niche long before players expected the deep MMO-style endgame content that defines the current live-service landscape. Darrah notes that the areas where Destiny truly excelled—such as intricate raids and rewards that anchor the endgame experience—could have provided the roadmap BioWare needed for its own ambitious project.

Anthem “inflicted lasting damage on the careers of many talented developers,” remarked a Dragon Age veteran, expressing doubt that he or BioWare ever fully moved past the fallout of the game’s high-profile difficulties.