Despite being loudly trumpeted as the cornerstone of BioWare’s post-launch content plans for Anthem, the long-awaited Cataclysm update has, to date, largely remained a mystery. With tonight’s Cataclysm livestream over, however, a whole lot more is now known.
According to BioWare, Cataclysm will run for a total of eight weeks when it finally arrives after a bout of public testing. The first two weeks will take the form of a “pre-event”, designed to set up the narrative for Cataclysm proper. This will consist of three new missions, each featuring their own “high quality cinematic scenes” and a range of Vanity item rewards.
For those that don’t mind light spoilers, the gist of the story is that a new faction, lead by someone called Vara, manages to trigger the Cataclysm in an act of desperation. As you might imagine, it’s up to the Freelancers to find out what caused it and how it can be resolved.
With the initial two-week pre-amble over, BioWare will then launch the Cataclysm proper, with the bulk of the event unfolding in a new, non-linear area of the world – a storm-ravaged, cave-pocked cliffside, overlooking a tumultuous ocean.
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Although Cataclysm is intended to be playable by anyone at any level, it’s primarily designed for groups of four players, with a particular emphasis on replay. To that end, it features one core objective – to defeat the faction leader Vara – but encourages repeat visits, exploration, and experimentation through a new score multiplier and leaderboard system, enabling players to compete against friends, guild mates, and the world.