Electronic Arts confirmed today that Anthem, BioWare's upcoming online multiplayer RPG, is now scheduled for release in early 2019. Refusing to call Anthem's postponed release date a delay, EA's CFO Blake Jorgensen described the game's shifting release date a result of smart scheduling. Anthem was originally scheduled for release in late 2018.

According to EA, the next title in the Battlefield franchise will be filling in the company's late 2018 release slot. With Battlefield launching in October, EA says that it believes Anthem will find more success in a less competitive quarter. For now, Anthem will be the sole major release planned for early 2019, though that's likely to change as the quarter approaches.

"It's not a delay. People are trying to create a story," Jorgensen said in an official statement to the Wall Street Journal. Jorgensen is understandably frustrated that news of Anthem's delay leaked, given the effect its had on the EA's stock value. Kotaku reported news of Anthem's delay last week, citing multiple anonymous sources from within BioWare.

Anthem Delay into 2019 Confirmed

Kotaku notably went out of its way not to imply that the delay stemmed from development being behind schedule, but that appears to be how the story has been framed by many outlets since (particularly on YouTube and social media). Rather, the initial reporting of the delay described it as a result of the game's growing scope, with EA moving additional teams and developers onto the project, and the added pressure on Anthem to impress.

For now, very little is known regarding Anthem. The game was announced at E3 2017 and has not been showcased at any big events since. With at least a year left before Anthem's release, BioWare has plenty of time to ensure it is exactly the game the studi wants to make and to persuade gamers it's what we want to play, too.

Anthem is planned for release in early 2018 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.