The VIP demo of Anthem has officially started, but not everyone can play. Many cannot even enter the game. We will keep you updated on the status of the servers.
Since today, January 25th, the VIP demo of the shared-world shooter Anthem is running. Actually. Because many players across platforms cannot access the servers.
Therefore, we will keep you updated in our ticker with news. You can also keep an eye on the EA support Twitter account.
Anthem Demo – The Live Ticker
The demo officially started at 18:01. Since then, more and more players are reporting issues.
18:45: There are cross-platform issues. Players are reporting connection problems. For example, on the PS4, the message appears: “We are sorry, but the EA servers have reached their maximum capacity. Please try again later.”
EA has already addressed this in the subreddit for Anthem. They are working on creating more space for additional players on the servers. Gradually, more players should be online.
Jesse Anderson, an employee at Bioware, also reports that more players are getting onto the servers:
We see that more and more players are entering the VIP demo servers. We are monitoring the situation and will keep you updated. Thank you all for your patience, we are still working on it.
18:46: The head of BioWare, Casey Hudson, thanks the players for their patience. The team is working hard to increase server capacity.
19:25: Those looking to discuss the current server status and later content with other Javelins should join our Facebook group for Anthem.
19:30: EA support is now receiving messages that people would rather take a break and wait until it runs. EA understands this. They are working on increasing server capacity and hope that Anthem will run when players try again later.
19:32: Even those who can get into the game are not safe. Players report that Anthem crashes and they have problems getting back in.
19:34: Those who are stuck in a loading screen in Anthem that never ends are advised by EA: Restart the game and try again. They are working on a fix.
19:38: Our author Leya was able to experience the VIP demo for about 30 minutes. Leya says:
“I keep being kicked out of Anthem and have not been able to play a mission yet. As soon as I enter the Javelin, I am trapped in an endless loading screen. Many seem to have this issue currently. The Fort Tarsis has already impressed me quite well. It creates a mysterious and dreamy atmosphere.”
19:55: EA says a bit remorsefully, they do not know how long the login issues will last. But thank you all for your patience.
20:23: Jesse Anderson from EA says:
- If you receive any server message, you can continue trying to log in.
- But if you see a loading screen that does not end, you should reboot the game – this refers to a loading screen with no button that can be pressed.
20:55: Right now, 25,319 people are watching the German Twitch streamer Gronkh as he gets frustrated with online games. He would prefer Anthem to be a single-player game with optional co-op like The Forest. Even Gronkh currently cannot log into Anthem.
20:59: The problem seems to be the additional friend codes that were issued. The friend keys have effectively turned a “VIP demo” into a “demo for VIPs and three times as many others”. EA apparently did not foresee the rush.
Anthem causes disruption at Origin
21:15: The server problems of Anthem are temporarily affecting other EA games. EA now states that they are checking login problems with other games and service offerings. Players should hang in there, they are working on it and will provide information as soon as they have it.
21:33: Casey Hudson has now tweeted that it doesn’t seem to be a server capacity issue, but another problem that did not occur during previous stress tests. The teams are addressing it.
23:29: EA has reported: The login services have recovered and they are seeing an improvement in stability. They are still dealing with issues that Xbox users are apparently having.
Saturday, January 26; 9:53 AM: Most connection problems with Anthem on PC and PS4 were likely resolved last night. However, Xbox One had more difficulties than the other platforms. Currently, there are issues when players reach level 12 and should actually choose the second Javelin. BioWare is currently working on this.
12:34 PM: Currently, EA is working on these 4 problems:
- The endless loading screen when entering the game or an expedition.
- Players cannot get past the Anthem title screen.
- Some players on Xbox One are unable to join the Anthem VIP demo.
- And some players are unable to use their Anthem VIP friend codes.
14:00: In this article, we summarize the current mood of the demo on MeinMMO: Players find Anthem great, but the demo launch is a disaster
19:03: Not much has happened in the last few hours; it was also the middle of the night in the USA. The latest news are now two messages:
- The problems for Xbox One players have either been resolved or at least improved.
- As a new problem, they are working on the “rubber banding” that occurs during missions or in the open world.
EA continues to work on the other problems.
19:07: At BioWare, game director Jonathan Warner emphasizes again that the problems have nothing to do with server capacity. The friend codes that were sent out were not responsible for the issues. They are now working on the existing issues to resolve them as quickly as possible.
23:20: EA reports: The problem with unlocking the second Javelin should now be resolved for most players. They should find a corresponding item in the forge that unlocks the 2nd Javelin when they reach level 12.
Anthem apologizes – More details on issues
Sunday, January 27, 11:00 AM: BioWare has apologized for the issues in the meantime. As compensation, players of the VIP demo will receive an additional vinyl skin. In an open letter the head of live service explained how the problems occurred.
12:00: BioWare has released an update, which problems have now been resolved. They also have some suggestions on how to potentially work around some issues.
These issues are still present:
- Players get stuck on the loading screen when they start the game or want to go on a mission.
- It is impossible to get past Anthem’s start screen.
These issues have been resolved or at least mitigated:
- Some Xbox One players were unable to access the VIP demo – problem resolved.
- “Rubber-banding” during missions or freeplay – problem mitigated (during “rubber-banding” players are pulled back as if on a rubber band).
- The second Javelin could not be unlocked – problem resolved.
- Friend codes could not be redeemed – problem resolved.
This is what BioWare suggests to work around problems:
- Getting stuck on the start screen: It could be that players with this problem did not redeem their VIP code with the correct EA account. In this case, follow these steps on the EA website.
- Not receiving a token to unlock Javelin: Players should now see a token to unlock a second Javelin in the forge. If this is not the case, contact BioWare or EA support.
- Friend codes cannot be redeemed: Clear your browser’s cache or open a window in incognito mode. Then try reloading the code redemption page again.
15:20: The loading screen bug may not be resolved this weekend. The head of BioWare’s live service shared this. This bug would be a challenging problem to solve. Since the loading screen bug does not occur universally, they do not want to risk further restricting players in the demo.
22:50: All players of the VIP demo can unlock all Javelins next week in the open demo of Anthem. This is meant as a thank you to the participants of the demo. In the demo, you can only play with two Javelins.
If you are looking for something to pass the time until the servers are online, you can check our info on Anthem:
- In a survey, we asked you which Javelin you will play in the demo. This is the most popular Javelin
- Combos are an efficient way to deal damage in Anthem – this is what you need to know about the combos in Anthem.
- First testers share their impressions and compare Anthem with Destiny. What else they say, you can find out in the test reports on Anthem.
Also, visit our Discord channel for Anthem. There you can chat about everything related to the demo. And on our Facebook page for Anthem, you won’t miss any news.
Those who cannot be live at the launch but still want to take a look can watch Nexxoss Gaming here as he plays Anthem now.
Are you already playing, or do you also have to wait?
