For years, fans of online shooters have been waiting for alternatives to Destiny 2. In 2019, two of the biggest contenders are set to release just 21 days apart: The Division 2 and Anthem. Bad luck for the two games. But for players, this is a good thing, believes our author Schuhmann.
After the drought comes the rain: For years, fans of “online shooters” like Destiny 2 have been in a dry spell. The last major new game that was released for them was The Division 1 in spring 2016. After Destiny 2 disappointed, but Destiny hooked so many players, millions are longing for a strong competitor on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Players are looking for alternatives to Destiny.
Something was supposed to happen at E3 2017: We at Mein-MMO suggested before E3 2017 that multiple new games similar to Destiny could be announced. Because the industry has long recognized the trend: Almost all publishers are working on their own answers to Destiny. However, only the announcement of Anthem came in 2017.
Now everything comes: In the run-up to E3 2018, Ubisoft announced and presented The Division 2. Thereafter, more information about Anthem was also revealed – including a release date. Things are getting serious.
Reading tip: We have now also published an extensive article that includes initial gameplay experiences:
Anthem and The Division – Release in the same timeframe
Both hit closely together: Both games are now supposed to launch in the same release window, with only three weeks separating the two rivals:
- Anthem is expected to kick off on February 22, 2019
- The Division 2 will be released on March 15, 2019
This will be tight: Of course, both games will be stepping on each other’s toes, or metal prosthetics. A competition situation will arise. After all, both games are being released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One and will be the “heavyweights” in this release window. They are also aiming for a similar target audience. Although The Division 2 and Anthem have different settings, they will exhibit some similarities in gameplay mechanics:
- Both games are third-person shooters
- Both games will focus on story and RPG elements
- Both are planned as “games as a service” or “living world”, as they say: They will continue to develop
- Both games will have a “shared world”: they will incorporate MMO elements
Target groups overlap: Many who are interested in Anthem will also have an eye on The Division 2 – and vice versa.
Will the release of Anthem change again?
Will anything be delayed? Indeed, some speculate that Anthem could make a retreat once again. While this is unusual after the presentation at E3, Anthem seems to be the shakier candidate when it comes to the release date.
Trust in The Division: Massive and Ubisoft may have delayed The Division 1 multiple times in the past. But now they are expected to hold the release date. After all, they have been working since March 2016 with full steam on the game and already had a complete team available from The Division 1. Over 1,000 developers in 6 studios are supposed to be working on The Division 2.
More skepticism about Anthem: Experts are not so sure about Anthem – particularly because so much depends on BioWare’s success. Many believe it could mean the end for BioWare if Anthem fails.
Battleborn fate does not threaten
Enough differences: In the past, games often struggled to generate any attention when released simultaneously with a similar, larger, and established game:
- For example, Titanfall 2 legendaryly sank between Battlefield and Call of Duty in October 2016
- Hero shooter alternatives like Battleborn had no chance to clearly show their differences compared to “Overwatch” – resulting in the demise of a whole series of games like Gigantic, Paragon, LawBreakers, or Master X Master without much notice.
Too big to sink: For Anthem and The Division 2, the risk of either game sinking against the other is low. The two games are different enough. The Division is also an established brand. Furthermore, both games will likely heavily focus on PvE and a campaign. This guarantees a different player experience.
Plenty of room for both: There is no reason to only buy one of the games if you are interested in both: except for a severe lack of time or money. But unlike pure PvP games, where “one is enough” like Overwatch, there is plenty of space for multiple online shooters with PvE elements. Many Destiny veterans played The Division, and vice versa.
However, scratches are possible: However, it may be the case that one game suffers scratches or dents if it manages to pull ahead significantly during the “hype phase”. Especially since the advertising phases will frequently overlap for both games.
Anthem vs. Division
What speaks for Anthem? As a challenger, Anthem has several advantages in the duel.
- It features a fresh sci-fi scenario – Anthem is a blank page and can thus more easily serve as a projection surface for player dreams than the “known quantity”, The Division 2
- Players are excited for a new game, and Anthem is arriving three weeks earlier – patience has rarely been the player’s strength
- BioWare brings its own audience with it: players who enjoy story, and who hold BioWare in high regard after Mass Effect and Dragon Age
- Additionally, BioWare can connect “MMO and story” – something they proved with Star Wars: The Old Republic.
The Division 2 has the advantage: In direct comparison with Anthem, The Division 2, however, has several advantages on its side.
- An experienced and well-coordinated team
- The experience that the first weeks will be bumpy due to bugs and exploits that were not previously considered
- The knowledge that players always want more content than is prepared
- Plus, an established brand that knows what to expect
- A trust boost after The Division 1 was significantly improved over the years
Conclusion: It is incredibly challenging to launch a new game of this size smoothly. All major online shooters have suffered from this. Massive can certainly attest to this with The Division 1. They have surely learned from their mistakes. However, greater experience does not guarantee success for The Division 2. It is not a given that things will be better the second time around: Destiny 2 can serve as a cautionary tale.
While the advantage lies with The Division 2, nothing is certain here.
It’s still a long way until spring 2019
Not just a two-man duel: Even if The Division 2 beats competitor Anthem, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will dominate the online game market. Because the online shooter market might evolve further by February and March 2019
- The troubled Destiny 2 could recover by then with Forsaken – although Destiny traditionally takes a creative break in spring with little happening
- The heavyweight Red Dead Redemption 2 poses a greater threat. The western game could bind many players starting from October 2018 and change the market
- Plus, anything can happen in nine months – the fact that Fortnite dominates the game market today would have been unimaginable nine months ago
The laughing third?
Is that all? Additionally, there are also the announcement and the release of Borderlands 3. Originally, this game was likely scheduled for February/March 2019. Now it is said that Borderlands 3 has been postponed somewhat – it’s quite possible that Gearbox is aiming for summer 2019. If The Division 2 and Anthem encounter significant issues during release, Gearbox could be the laughing third, provided the team uses the time to polish Borderlands 3 further.
Online shooters may face a six-man battle: The currently still empty online shooter market will become relatively full in the coming months:
- Market leader Destiny 2, long without alternatives
- Red Dead Redemption 2 – a heavyweight about which very little is known yet
- Anthem, a sci-fi shooter that focuses exclusively on PvE with BioWare in its corner
- The Division 2, a game that seems to have learned a lot from its predecessor
- Borderlands 3, actually the “forefather” of the genre who is now belatedly coming to the party and has something to prove
- And Warframe – the underdog that has carved out its own market over the years and continues to look for steady development.
A good situation for us players. Competition stimulates business. So far, all online shooters have suffered from a lack of content. Perhaps the first ones are already done with Anthem and are calling for something new when The Division 2 releases. And perhaps this new situation will make it clear to everyone involved that the genre of online shooters needs to evolve to excite players.
