Anthem has been delayed to 2019 says new report

The release of BioWare’s Destiny-flavoured epic Anthem has reportedly been pushed into 2019, according to Kotaku whisperers. While the game was originally pencilled in for a fall 2018 slot, one source told the site that this goal was ‘never realistic.’

An exact release date has yet to be confirmed, but the report states that it is unlikely publisher Electronic Arts will be happy delaying Anthem beyond March 2019, which is when the company’s financial year wraps up. In other words, we’re now looking at an early 2019 launch for the game. 

One developer told the site that BioWare’s future will unfold very differently if Anthem does not prove a success, particularly in light of last year’s disappointing Mass Effect: Andromeda. Kotaku’s report also mentions that the pressure is mounting for those close to the project as Anthem enters its final year of development, with feelings of both anxiety and optimistism floating amongst the team.

The past year has seen production ramping up considerably however, with more staff joining the development team. Apparently, when quizzed about Anthem’s struggles, one source described them as having shifted from ‘this game is screwed’ to a slightly more optimistic ‘game development is really hard’ over time.

Anthem has been in the works since 2012 and was originally overseen by Casey Hudson, the former director of the Mass Effect franchise. The title purportedly has endured a bumpy ride over the years, first suffering from an extended pre-production cycle at BioWare and then later hit by frustrations levelled at the game’s Forstbite engine.

While the news of a delay is disappointing,  it should be noted that nothing official has emerged from EA or BioWare at this point, so take it with a pinch of salt until we hear something concrete.