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Games getting delisted is never fun, even when they weren’t best-in-class to begin with. Unfortunately, it tends to be the sad reality for live-service titles, especially if they failed to take off at launch or sustain that momentum later on. The latest victim, Anthem, is about to reach the end of the line.
Anthem will shut down on Monday, January 12 (as noted by PlayStation LifeStyle), giving those interested in playing the game one last weekend of potential fun. The end-of-service applies to all platforms, so Xbox, PlayStation, and PC users will all be equally affected. Anthem has already been removed from sale on digital storefronts, but it’s still possible to buy physical copies or third-party key listings (at your own risk) if you’re intent on playing before the shutdown.
Anthem Is Gone In 48 Hours
The End Is Nigh
Anthem was developed by legendary RPG studio BioWare, but it quickly became the poster child for the studio’s decline. While the game has some engaging mechanics, it lacks the quality storytelling and diversity of gameplay that made titles like Mass Effect and Dragon Age great.
If anything, it’s surprising that Anthem made it this far, as EA ended active support for the title much more quickly. A year after its critically disappointing release, EA ceased active development of the game, and its patch version today is the same as it was in February 2020. At launch, the game promised at least three acts of an ongoing narrative, but only the first act was ever released.
Say Goodbye To A Controversial Game
BioWare Is Moving On
EA provided the details regarding Anthem‘s delisting last year, but most players have likely spent the intervening months forgetting about the game’s existence. If you already have access to the game, however, a last farewell could be worth the effort of re-installing the game. For those who never bought Anthem to begin with, investing now may not be the best financial decision.
Earlier this week, players started reporting problems installing Anthem ahead of the shutdown, so your mileage may vary.
I never had a personal interest in Anthem, but I appreciate the attachment players can have to unpopular games. I enjoyed my time with the short-lived Radical Heights, for example, and Anthem was a product of much greater ambition than that.
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BioWare is unlikely to make anything quite like Anthem in the future, so for better or worse, the shutdown is the true end of an era. Hopefully, the next Mass Effect game will restore the studio to its former status as a paragon of good sci-fi. At this point, however, I doubt many long-term BioWare fans are holding their breath.
