Anthem was the top-selling game in the U.S. for February, according to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. The multiplayer shooter also scored developer BioWare’s second best launch month ever. Anthem is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
BioWare’s best launch still belongs to Mass Effect 3, which came out in 2012. However, Anthem is at a disadvantage because The NPD Group’s tracking does not include people who are playing Anthem by subscribing to EA Access Premier. That difference, however, may be difficult to explain to publisher Electronic Arts’ investors.
This sales success is in contrast with Anthem’s critical and fan reception. The PC version has an average review score of 60 on Metacritic. Anthem launched in a rough shape, full of performance issues and bugs. If you look at the game’s Reddit page, it is filled with complaints.
Anthem is far from dead
Anthem is still off to a good start in sales terms. And we’ve seen other multiplayer looter shooters, like Destiny and The Division, launch in rough shape but improve the experience with updates and expansions.
Just today, BioWare general manager Casey Hudson posted a blog acknowledging Anthem’s rough start while promising to continue working on the game.
“We hear the criticisms and doubts,” Hudson noted. “But we’ll keep going anyway, working hard every day on Anthem — an ever-changing world, constantly improving and growing, and supported well into the future by our team of passionate developers.”