Anthem wasn’t completely absent from EA Play at E3 2019, despite it not being revealed for the event. The publisher may have opted to not focus on its recently released loot shooter during its presentation, but it was at least there. Despite Anthem being one of EA’s most big-budget new games, the underwhelming performance of the BioWare game has seen the company semi-avoiding it during its EA presentation, instead focusing on more popular titles in its library while Anthem was relegated to a 2-minute discussion on its Public Test Server.
Anthem released to poor reviews and an overwhelmingly negative consumer reception. What was expected to be a profitable live service game wound up becoming one of the year’s biggest disappointments thus far, though it was suggested that EA and BioWare would remain committed to fixing its issues throughout 2019. In April, a job position appeared for a Senior Loot Designer for the game, while its producer Michael Gamble previously claimed that the studio’s “support and commitment” to Anthem hadn’t changed since launch.
Where was Anthem at E3 2019?
While EA revealed a new gameplay trailer for Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order and the Apex Legends season 2 update, Anthem received a far more subdued mention.
Anthem‘s lead producer Ben Irving was present in the crowd at the EA Play presentation, and he insisted to host Greg Miller that the game has a “bright future” ahead of it. Considering that this was an official EA stream, the mention of Anthem was notably self-deprecating, acknowledging the reaction to the game and openly questioning if the game has a future at all.
While many may dispute him, Irving has insisted that work on Anthem is still underway, pointing to the Public Test Server as a big addition to the game. While it isn’t likely to attract new fans, it is at least something for the game at E3 2019.
