The reports of Anthem’s death are somewhat exaggerated…sort of. Despite the game’s development troubles, sparse content post-launch and paling in comparison to other looter shooters, it’s done fairly well sales-wise. According to analyst Mat Piscatella with The NPD Group, it was the fifth best-selling game in the United States this year till August end.
To put that into perspective, it’s behind Mortal Kombat 11, Kingdom Hearts 3, Madden NFL 20 and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. It’s not too surprising though – back in March 2019, BioWare’s title was reported to have earned $100 million in digital revenue. However, on fundamental level, the game was flawed as indicated in numerous reports that emerged since.
It also didn’t help that the loot system is still flawed or that BioWare delayed content like the Mastery System, Guilds and whatnot. The Cataclysm eventually launched as an eight-week event… and then returned when players complained of having nothing to do. The plan now is to have seasonal updates so take that as you will. We’ll see how Anthem’s long-term success pans out over the coming year.