Anthem launched for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One with mediocre review scores and unimpressive sales. Still, some people are interested in the game’s story and plot. While BioWare and Electronic Arts’ Anthem may be hazardous to play on your PS4, it’s probably a safe bet to rely on finding out about the story without actually playing the game. In this case, if you were curious about the game’s ending, this Anthem ending explained article will give you a quick overview of the game’s story.
Basically, the Anthem of Creation controls vasts amounts of power, and it can shape, reshape, and alter the very fabric of reality. Over time it’s become unstable and the Anthem creates what’s known as cataclysms. One place in particular is known for having rather violent cataclysms known as the Heart of Rage.
At the start of the game, a mech pilot named Haluk leads a group of Freelancers – basically heroic mercenaries who pilot mechs known as Javelins – into a danger zone known as the Heart of Rage to subdue the cataclysms taking place within the region by utilizing a device known as the Cenataph. This device was originally sought by an evil group known as The Dominion, whose leader, The Monitor, wants to control the Anthem by taking control of the Cenataph. The Dominion failed before and destroyed an entire city in the process after triggering the Anthem to create a cataclysmic event in their attempt to take control of the Cenataph.
The Freelancers also fail miserably in the Heart of Rage, and 20 of them die. The main character, who is only referred to as Freelancer, becomes despised by Haluk after the main character abandoned the other Freelancers in the Heart of Rage when a bunch of titans appeared and began squashing all of the mech pilots. The main character did manage to save Haluk, who ends up suffering from survivor’s guilt and PTSD.
Due to the failure of the Freelancers the cataclysms continue to take place, creating violent weather storms and disrupting the land with terrestrial catastrophes.
After the incident with Haluk, the Freelance spends his time doing small mercenary missions alongside a new partner named Owen, who is a Cypher. The Freelancer treats Owen like a piece of crap, though.
Cyphers are capable of “hearing” the Anthem, and being in tune to its beck and call. Some Cyphers have stronger links to the Anthem than others. Since they have light telepathy, they oftentimes work with Freelancers to help them with avoiding danger or knowing when certain kinds of enemies are lurking about.
After taking on some missions from the Corvus division, the Freelancer and Owen meet back up with Faye, another Cypher, and Haluk, who still holds a grudge against the main character over the previous mission where alltheir teammates died in the Heart of Rage to rampaging titans.
However, Faye attempts to mend the rift between the Freelancer and Haluk.
The trio, along with Owen, attempt to finish the mission that Haluk and the Freelancer had originally set out to complete and failed. However, they plan on trying to get stronger by accessing a rare Javelin mech suit. In order to get to the suit they have to first track down relic located inside of an ancient tomb that will allow them to get into the fortress before it’s accessed by The Dominion leader, the Monitor.
It becomes a race against time as The Monitor attempts to regain control of the Cenataph so he can control the Anthem, which he plans to use to reshape reality.
Before they can complete their mission, they first have to infiltrate Dominion territory where an ancient Fortress is located.
The group manage to steal a Dominion Javelin and infiltrate the Fortress of Dawn before The Dominion. However, before the Freelancer can use the signet relic on the Legionnaire’s Javelin of Dawn, he’s betrayed by Own, who everyone treated like pure and utter trash throughout the entire game (including all the so-called “good guys”).
Owen steals the Javelin of Dawn, but fails to retrieve the signet from the Freelancer. Without the signet it’s not possible to fully access the Cenataph.
Faye, however, had managed to see the blueprints of the Javelin of Dawn, and since the Freelancer still had the signet, they attempt to rebuild their own version of the Javelin of Dawn with the help of a scholar named Matthias.
Before they can head back into the Heart of Rage they have to first acquire a Manifold to amplify the power of the Javelin so it can withstand the presence of the Cenataph’s unstable energy.
The Freelancer manages to acquire everything they need to travel back into the Heart of Rage and disable the Cenataph to prevent the Anthem from creating anymore cataclysms. However, Haluk has trouble coping with the trauma of having lost so many Freelancers in the Heart of Rage, and is unable to pilot his Javelin. But after Haluk has an argument with Faye about no longer being a Freelancer, he gets into his Javelin and heads to the fortress where they’re confronted by Owen.
Following a small scuffle, Owen apologizes after revealing that he attempted to join The Monitor to access the Cenataph, but they were unable to control the Cenataph because he didn’t have the signet. The Monitor punished Owen by burning out his eyes and permanently scarring his face. As a small form of penance, Owen gives the Freelancer the seal fragment so that they can finish building their own dawn shield so they can enter into the Cenataph’s presence and finally end the cataclysms.
The Freelancer enters into the Heart of Rage alone and fights the titans again, only this time the titans are defeated, but the Freelancer is waylaid by The Monitor, who transcends beyond his body and becomes a large lancer. During the fight, the Freelancer is able to partially defeat The Monitor, but is unable to finish him. Haluk uses their transport ship, however, to ram it into The Monitor and crush him into a mountain.
Haluk, Faye, and the Freelancer proceed to disable the Cenataph and subdue the Anthem’s cataclysms.
The trio return home to celebrate while The Dominion forces scatter.
However, in a post credit scene it’s revealed that there’s still more. The Freelancer is informed that an ancient enemy that was supposed to be extinct has returned but they tell the Freelancer to keep it secret for now.
