Less than a week after BioWare announced an indefinite delay of most of their Anthem roadmap comes word that its dwindling player base is having some issues with proper matchmaking. Given that BioWare hasn't set a new release date for the numerous gameplay additions and improvements, the player base seems to be dying off fast enough that it's causing issues for those that are still playing.
According to a new report from Forbes, players are finding that they are unable to consistently find full teams for matchmaking activities. In Anthem, players can matchmake for pretty much every in-game activity. These can range from simple free roaming adventures to the more challenging mini-dungeon experiences called Strongholds. While a lack of matchmaking may not be a problem for the free roam content, it does pose a significant issue for those looking to tackle those Strongholds.
When a full team cannot be found, the activity will launch with however many players it was able to find. Players have noted that when this happens, those vacant team slots are never filled once a mission has started.
While a not-insignificant portion of this is the result of a dwindling player base, a lot has to do with how people choose to farm for better gear. As it stands, players would rather run Strongholds on lower difficulties because the loot scaling just isn't adequate. Players have found that they can run easier first tier difficulties 2-3 times in the same span of time it would take them to run the same Stronghold once on higher difficulty tiers. The rewards for running at higher difficulties just aren't all that great in Anthem still.
Forbes goes on to note that because of how the rewards are set up, players are simply looking for the most efficient way to get as much of that loot as possible. This means running only one Stronghold, Heart of Rage, over and over and over again is their preferred way to play. This leaves other activities, including other strongholds, feeling more like desolate wastelands.
Between these issues with loot distribution, a lack of worthwhile rewards, and a dwindling player base, matchmaking in Anthem is in a bit of a pickle at present.
