So it is! The release of Anthem (PS4, Xbox One, PC) has been postponed to 2019. Fans will have to wait even longer for the MMO shooter.
According to a Mein-MMO survey, Anthem claims the top spot in the 10 most anticipated MMOs and online games in 2018. It is a shared-world shooter from EA that is in development at BioWare and was officially unveiled for the first time at E3 2017. The release period is set for fall 2018.
However, as Blake Jorgensen, CFO of EA, confirms to the Wall Street Journal, it will not just be released in 2018. Instead, the release is expected in the first quarter of 2019.
Anthem is expected to receive significant attention
Jorgensen also mentions a reason for the postponement: A new Battlefield from EA is already set to release in October 2018. And if Anthem releases in a quieter quarter, it would receive more attention.
EA likely wants to avoid another “Titanfall 2” situation. This highly praised first-person shooter by critics and fans was overshadowed by the releases of Battlefield and CoD and fell short of expectations.
A delay in the development of Anthem is not the reason for the postponement, according to Jorgensen.
Almost a week ago, an insider report surfaced, stating that there were difficulties in the development of Anthem. A 2018 release was never realistic, but EA is pushing for Anthem to be finished by March 2019 to satisfy investors, it was said. This report was denied by Jorgensen.
What is Anthem, anyway?
Anthem is a shared-world shooter in the same vein as Destiny or The Division: You can explore a foreign world with friends, face dangers together, and upgrade your character with loot.
You play as a “Freelancer” – a character equipped with a combat suit that can fly, jump, climb, and dive through the world. And cool weapons and special abilities can also be integrated into this suit. The game is played in third-person perspective.
The developers plan for Anthem to be expanded over months and years with updates and DLCs. There is talk of a 10-year journey.
You can read more information about Anthem here in the overview.
