You came, you saw, you asked all the questions. Our Anthem™ PAX West 2018 panel was a blast thanks to everyone who attended, and all your awesome queries. Whether it was how to get the best gear in the game or how long you can spend time cruising through the world (before the folks back home start to worry), you brought your A game (A for Anthem).

Didn’t get a chance to check out the panel in person or online? Below are the five biggest takeaways.

1. You and Your Friends Will Experience the Same Things in Anthem’s Open World

The world of Anthem is a completely shared experience. When you team up with other Freelancers and explore its environment together, you’ll see everything that they do, and vice versa. “You can play with your friends, you can go out in the world. There’s these cool world events – storms, day and night – and that is common between everyone who’s playing the game,” says Lead Producer Mike Gamble. “That’s what we call ‘Our World.’”

You can venture forth with a specific mission in mind, or adventure at your own pace, uncovering secrets and lore that give you clues about the world’s many mysteries. Plus, there’s some sweet gear to unlock out there through both missions and exploration.

2. Your Choices Impact Your Story in Fort Tarsis

Inside Fort Tarsis is where you define your own story. “Tarsis is a place where you can interact with characters. You can make decisions, you can roleplay, and you don’t have to do that when you’re with your friends,” says Gamble. Representatives from different groups in Anthem will seek you out to help them with missions and tasks, and as you get to know them, they'll interact with you on a more personal basis.

How you treat them and the decisions you make will change how you're received. Spend time in Fort Tarsis to learn about the people who live there and discover who they truly are. Together, your story and the shared story mentioned above define the central idea of Anthem: Our World, My Story.

3. Your Crew Will Stay with You Whether You’re Out in the World or in Fort Tarsis

Your crew is made up of three important characters - Haluk, Faye, and Owen, each with their own unique abilities and role:

• Owen is an optimistic and ambitious young cypher who’s learning the trade at your side. “Cyphers are people that – because of the Shaper world – they have super telepathic abilities,” says Lead Writer Cathleen Rootsaert. “But they need to go to school to hone those. Owen has gone to the ‘community college’ version of that.” He's a vital and enthusiastic member of our team, though he can get himself in trouble in his urge to prove himself.
• Faye is a mysterious and work-obsessed cypher who comes from a more prestigious background than Owen - the 'Harvard' of Anthem, according to Rootsaert. Faye has long been fascinated by the Anthem of Creation and is driven to learn more about it. Unfortunately, her personal relationships have suffered as a result, and she carries more than a few secrets with her.
• Haluk is a grumpy but dedicated Freelancer who keeps your Javelin in working order. “Early in the game you are on a team with Haluk,” says Rootsaert. “He’s a legend in the Freelancer world. He’s a mentor, and yet he doesn’t want to be your teacher.” He's also voiced by actor Nick Tarabay, who has plenty of nice things to say.

Out in the open world, these three follow close behind in your strider, a mobile base of operations where you can regroup. Back in Fort Tarsis, you can interact and bond with them, and they may open up to you.

4. You'll Accept Missions and Contracts from Agents Who Represent Some of Anthem's Factions

Within Fort Tarsis, you’ll find a variety of different factions, including the Sentinels (the main defensive force of the Kingdom of Antium, Anthem's capital city), the arcanists (scientists trying to unearth and understand the world’s secrets), and Corvus (a shadowy organization as mysterious as their work). As you explore the fort, you’ll meet representatives from all of these groups, including:

• Brin, a socially awkward Sentinel who monitors Scar activity outside the fort
• Matthias, a dedicated arcanist fascinated by Shaper technology who suffers from a strange affliction
• Yarrow, a retired Freelancer who worries that their traditions and worth are being forgotten.

Your interactions with these agents don't have to be strictly professional - throughout Anthem, you'll have opportunities to bond with each of them. “Your relationships with them [develop] through the missions,” says Level Designer Sabine Rosgren. “Once you come back to Tarsis [after they've accompanied you on a mission], something might have changed.” The more time you spend in Fort Tarsis with the agents, the more you learn, giving you the chance to discover who they truly are.

5. There Are Other Factions That Want to Destroy You

Your allies aren’t the only organized ones: there are factions outside Fort Tarsis as well, and they don't play nice. The first you’ll encounter is the Scars, a race of insect-like creatures that have a starring role in Anthem’s latest gameplay video. Their motivations and why they’re battling against the Freelancers will be revealed over the course of the game.

Then, there’s the Dominion, a warlike faction in the North that acts as an ever-present threat to Fort Tarsis. They’re led by the Monitor, a ruthless leader who plans to utilize the Anthem of Creation for his own destructive desires – and you are in his way.

That's not all we learned about Anthem this week. Check out our full breakdown of Our World, My Story, learn all about how multiplayer works, get ready for Anthem's upcoming demo, and more.

Pre-order now and get VIP access to a pre-launch demo.*

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Anthem launches February 22, 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation® 4, and PC. Early Access begins on February 15 for Origin Access and EA Access members.**

* CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE https://www.ea.com/games/anthem/pre-order-disclaimer FOR DETAILS. DEMO DETAILS AVAILABLE AT https://www.ea.com/games/anthem/news/announce-date-of-pre-launch-demo. PERSISTENT INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED TO PLAY.

** CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE ea.com/ea-access/terms AND origin.com/store/origin-access/terms FOR DETAILS.