BioWare's 'Anthem' arrives February 22nd, 2019

The shared-world shooter Anthem finally has a release date following a delay early in the year. BioWare's Destiny-style game is now slated to arrive February 22nd, 2019 on PS4, PC and Xbox One (February 15th for Origin Access Premier subscribers). The fantasy-tinged sci-fi title has you battling for humanity's survival alongside your fellow players using one of four Javelin exosuits (essentially, class-based armor) as you soar, walk and swim. It's a not so subtle riff on Destiny's theme, although BioWare noted that it's avoiding the lootbox controversy that soured Bungie's game for some players.

During a talk at EA's E3 event, BioWare noted that there would be in-game purchases, but that you would know what you're getting (that is, no random lootboxes) and won't get anything that provides a gameplay advantage. Like DICE, then, it has learned a valuable lesson about charging users for in-game goods. The question is whether or not BioWare can build on shared-world rivals like Destiny and The Division, or if this will feel more like a me-too release.