Discover why Anthem failed to meet expectations at launch. From technical issues to content gaps, explore the struggles behind its rocky release.

When Electronic Arts (EA) unveiled Anthem in 2017, it marked the company’s next big step in the world of live-service games. The ambitious sci-fi action RPG was positioned to rival beloved franchises like Dragon Age and Destiny. It promised rich storytelling, dynamic multiplayer gameplay, and a captivating open-world experience.

The game failed to meet the player’s expectations. | Image Credit: BioWare

However, upon its release in February 2019, Anthem failed to deliver on its lofty expectations, leading to a frustrating experience for many players and a long road to redemption that EA didn’t manage to fully implement. In an interview, CEO Andrew Wilson openly addressed the game’s shortcomings.

The problems with Anthem’s launch

Even the CEO mentioned the issues faced by the game. | Image Credit: BioWare

Players were excited prior to the game’s release, as it promised them a vast, ever-changing world to explore while piloting customizable Javelin exosuits. The game seemed like it could offer something truly unique. Unfortunately, the reality of the game’s launch was far from the hype.

One of the most immediate complaints from players was the overwhelming number of bugs and technical issues. From frustratingly long load times to persistent crashes, even menu navigation was clunky, leaving players fumbling through frustrating interfaces instead of diving straight into the action.

To make matters worse, after the initial hours of gameplay, there was a huge lack of engaging content. Many players reported that after around 40 hours, they found themselves hitting a wall in content. The open world, which had promised rich exploration and story content, suddenly felt shallow and repetitive.

At E3 2019, in an interview with GameDaily, Andrew Wilson reflected on Anthem‘s troubled launch. He admitted that while the game had a lot of potential, its execution didn’t meet expectations, particularly in its endgame content, and left players asking for more.

Wilson acknowledged that despite the team’s efforts to improve the game post-launch, it hadn’t yet lived up to what the game promised. He said:

Making fun is hard.

This small statement underscores the difficult reality developers had to face in recognizing the game’s flaws.

The game struggled to meet its own expectation

The game struggles to offer more content for the end-game player. | Image Credit: BioWare

Andrew Wilson provided further insight into the root causes of the game’s failure. He pointed out that during development, Anthem was caught between two competing player expectations: those seeking fast-paced, action-driven gameplay and those craving deep, story-driven content.

The game attempted to blend these elements together but instead resulted in a jarring experience, unable to fully satisfy either group. This lack of clear direction left many players feeling unfulfilled and disconnected from the experience.

Despite the rocky launch, EA remained committed to fixing Anthem in the hopes of redeeming the game. Unfortunately, the road to redemption would prove to be more difficult than anticipated. While patches and updates were rolled out over time, they failed to reignite player enthusiasm.

For now, the game serves as a harsh reminder for the video game industry that even the best intentions can fall short if sufficient time, resources, and foresight are not spent effectively.

In the end, while Anthem may have been a misstep from EA, the lessons learned from its development could help shape future titles in positive ways.