High expectations and recent controversies reportedly have the Anthem team anxious, but optimistic.
BioWare is reportedly focusing the majority of its team from both its Edmonton and Austin studios into its upcoming game Anthem, an online, open-world multiplayer action RPG announced at E3 2017.
According to a report from Kotaku, sources close to Anthem place its release date closer to early 2019, citing the “Fall 2018” release window as unrealistic. Pressure to launch before the end of EA’s 2019 fiscal year makes a delay beyond March 2019 less likely, sources told Kotaku. IGN has reached out to EA for further comment.
Over half a dozen people close to Anthem spoke to Kotaku about the pressure surrounding the project, which has allegedly been in development since 2012. According to Kotaku’s sources, recent industry controversies — notably the backlash from Star Wars Battlefront 2’s loot box progression system and Bungie’s overhaul of its 2018 plans to address negative feedback from the Destiny 2 community — has placed pressure squarely on the Anthem team to produce something great.
But despite the team’s anxieties, generated in part from BioWare’s own recent controversies (including Mass Effect Andromeda) and the often toxic community backlash, there’s optimism too.
Anthem’s reveal was one of the most popular stories from E3 2017.
Chloi Rad is an Associate Editor for IGN. Follow her on Twitter at @_chloi.