‘I always knew it was going to go away eventually:’ Anthem producer Mark Darrah gives his take on Stop Killing Games ahead of his own project shutting down forever
August 18, 2025
The Future of Live Service Games: A Call for Change
The ongoing debate surrounding the discontinuation of live service games has gained significant traction, particularly with the rise of the Stop Killing Games initiative. As the industry grapples with this pressing issue, the announcement that the once-promising MMO-lite, Anthem, will cease operations in early 2026 marks a poignant moment in gaming history. After a seven-year journey, players will find themselves unable to revisit a title they once invested both time and money into.
In a recent conversation with YouTuber MrMattyPlays, Mark Darrah, the former executive producer of Anthem at BioWare, reflected on the challenges of current multiplayer game design. He expressed a sense of regret, suggesting that the fate of Anthem could have been different. “It doesn’t have to be this way,” he noted, acknowledging the complexities involved in maintaining a live service game.
Darrah elaborated on the potential for compromise in game design, stating, “We could have done something. It would have been an uglier game, probably would have had more latency issues. It would have been a worse experience second-to-second in order to get something that basically wouldn’t need to ever be sunset.” His comments resonate with many gamers who have felt the sting of losing access to titles they cherished.
Such sentiments are echoed in the experiences of players like those who enjoyed Ubisoft’s 2014 racing MMO-lite, The Crew. After its removal from Steam in March 2024, fans were left grappling with the loss of a game that provided countless hours of enjoyment, including memorable journeys across the virtual landscape. The question arises: should players have to sacrifice quality for longevity?
Darrah poses a thought-provoking inquiry: “Is that the world we want?” He suggests that perhaps the gaming community is willing to accept certain compromises in order to prevent beloved games from disappearing entirely. This conversation highlights a critical crossroads for the industry, as developers and players alike ponder the balance between game fidelity and sustainability in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
‘I always knew it was going to go away eventually:’ Anthem producer Mark Darrah gives his take on Stop Killing Games ahead of his own project shutting down forever
The Future of Live Service Games: A Call for Change
The ongoing debate surrounding the discontinuation of live service games has gained significant traction, particularly with the rise of the Stop Killing Games initiative. As the industry grapples with this pressing issue, the announcement that the once-promising MMO-lite, Anthem, will cease operations in early 2026 marks a poignant moment in gaming history. After a seven-year journey, players will find themselves unable to revisit a title they once invested both time and money into.
In a recent conversation with YouTuber MrMattyPlays, Mark Darrah, the former executive producer of Anthem at BioWare, reflected on the challenges of current multiplayer game design. He expressed a sense of regret, suggesting that the fate of Anthem could have been different. “It doesn’t have to be this way,” he noted, acknowledging the complexities involved in maintaining a live service game.
Darrah elaborated on the potential for compromise in game design, stating, “We could have done something. It would have been an uglier game, probably would have had more latency issues. It would have been a worse experience second-to-second in order to get something that basically wouldn’t need to ever be sunset.” His comments resonate with many gamers who have felt the sting of losing access to titles they cherished.
Such sentiments are echoed in the experiences of players like those who enjoyed Ubisoft’s 2014 racing MMO-lite, The Crew. After its removal from Steam in March 2024, fans were left grappling with the loss of a game that provided countless hours of enjoyment, including memorable journeys across the virtual landscape. The question arises: should players have to sacrifice quality for longevity?
Darrah poses a thought-provoking inquiry: “Is that the world we want?” He suggests that perhaps the gaming community is willing to accept certain compromises in order to prevent beloved games from disappearing entirely. This conversation highlights a critical crossroads for the industry, as developers and players alike ponder the balance between game fidelity and sustainability in an ever-evolving digital landscape.