Anthem’s Early Access is just a day away, so BioWare has helped put together something special for fans to celebrate. Todaydirector Neill Blomkampreleased his live-action short film “Conviction”, an officialAnthemstory. BioWare and Blomkamp began teasing the short film several days ago, including a short trailer featuring narration from a Cypher whispering about the Anthem.
“Conviction” is as much a trailer as it is a short film, teasing several plot threads from the game, including showcasing the online multiplayer game’s villain,The Monitor. Just how deeply “Conviction” is related toAnthem’s story remains to be seen. Of course, it wouldn’t be surprising to see all of the short film’s plot threads – the mysterious woman found in the wilds, Fort Tarsis' history, the betrayal, and the mysterious powers of the Anthem – fully explored come the game’s launch and beyond.
What “Conviction” does best is set a mood forAnthem’s release. It’s layered in drama and mystery, in complex interpersonal character relationships, and a larger overarching battle for control in a world steeped with lore to be explored and discovered. InAnthem, theJavelin suitsare just the necessary armor required to move forward. The rest can be found in “Conviction” and the Anthem.
Blomkamp’s independent Oats Studio was created in 2017 specifically for the creation of experimental short films. That freedom allows them not only to create unique films like “Zygote” and “Rakka”, but also contracted work like “Conviction” for BioWare.
Blomkamp isn’t just doing it for the money, however. He’s long been tied to video games. In 2007 he created the extremely successful “Halo: Landfall” short film and was rumored to be working on aHalotelevision show at one point. More recently, he’s talked about wanting to direct his very own mecha game. Working on thisAnthemproject seems to be the perfect middle ground for the time being.
Anthemreleases June 25, 2025 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
