Anthem had one of the rockiest launches this generation, second to only a few games, like Fallout 76, No Man’s Sky, and Star Wars Battlefront II. It still hasn’t really recovered from the launch either. Things are more stable, but first impressions are all you get with a lot of gamers. That said, it sounds like the launch was difficult for all parties involved. Speaking to Game Informer, former BioWare General Manger, Aaryn Flynn — who left BioWare in 2017 — revealed that it was both “tough” and surreal” to watch the game stumble so heavily out of the gate. Prior to his departure, Flynn was notably one of the leads on Anthem, so even while he’s no longer with BioWare or working on Anthem, he has some skin in the game.
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“Surreal is a good word for it,” said Flynn of Anthem’s launch. “It’s tough, but at the same time I know they’re working so hard on it. Mixed emotions, surreal – those are all good words [for what I’m feeling]. Fiscal years are fiscal years. You don’t have to squint too hard to know what’s going on.”
Interestingly, as you can see, Flynn more than suggests that EA had its hand to play in the game’s messy launch. “Fiscal years are fiscal years…you don’t have to squint too hard to see what’s going on,” seems to be Flynn saying EA rushed the game out the door in order for it to hit its fiscal year that ended in March. Of course, Flynn may actually not be implying this, but that’s how that reads at least.
Of course, EA can’t solely be blamed for Anthem. BioWare and individuals leading the project surely have to shoulder some blame as well. According to recent reports, the game’s development wasn’t just rushed, but BioWare struggled with in-fighting and other issues that can’t simply be dumped at the lap of EA.
Anthem is available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. At the moment of publishing, there’s been no word of any additional ports. For more news, media, and information on the looter-shooter, be sure to peep all of our previous coverage of the title by clicking right here.
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