EA and BioWare have released the first in a planned series of gameplay videos introducing different elements of upcoming cooperative action-RPG Anthem. The video introduces more of the setting and characters of the world of Anthem and the safe haven of Fort Tarsis. It also dives into customization for Javelins, anthem’s mech suits, which can equip multiple weapons, abilities, and gear.

Anthem will host a demo this weekend, January 25-27, if you’re interested in trying the game and helping test server stability. The demo drops everyone into a Ranger javelin at level 10 with preloaded weapons and abilities. You’ll be able to explore the hub world of Fort Tarsis, a story mission, and some free roaming. Players will be able to level up and gain loot much quicker than normal, as well as unlock a second javelin to try.

The Anthem VIP Demo will only be available to players who have pre-ordered Anthem, as well as EA Access subscribers. Physical pre-orders should receive a download code via email. The demo requires an EA account to redeem.

Players who have access to the VIP Demo and who launch the game at least once will also receive three friend codes via the Refer a Friend option. They can freely send for the codes for others to install and play, regardless of platform.

A fully open demo is planned the following weekend, February 1-3. Obviously if you have access to the VIP Demo, keep it installed to simply update to the open demo instead of having to redownload. Any progress made in the VIP Demo will carry over.

You can pre-load the demo as early as this Wednesday, Jan 23 on PC and Xbox One. Pre-load has not yet been announced for PS4. Note that as a multiplayer game, the Anthem demos require PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold to play on those respective consoles.

Anthem will launch on Feb. 22 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Early access for EA Access members begins Feb. 15.


This article was written by

Eric has been writing for over nine years with bylines at Dicebreaker, Pixelkin, Polygon, PC Gamer, Tabletop Gaming magazine, and more covering movies, TV shows, video games, tabletop games, and tech. He reviews and live streams D&D adventures every week on his YouTube channel. He also makes a mean tuna quesadilla.