EA Stock Tumbles After Rumors of Anthem Delay

Whatever gains EA's stock has made in recent weeks as it recovered from the fallout of Star Wars Battlefront 2 is slipping away again as news of Anthem's delay into 2019 has plunged EA's stock prices.

Kotaku reported today that as BioWare continues to work on its upcoming persistent world game, Anthem, the game will no doubt slip into 2019. That's according to sources close to the matter. While the report claims that EA won't let Anthem launch later than March 2019, the markets have reacted quickly to the news.

As of this writing, EA stock has dropped 2.6%. While projections expect stocks to rally, this was another blow to EA's public face.

Still, this is hardly a death knell for EA. Stock for EA fell even further in the aftermath of the Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot box scandal, but stocks have since rallied after the New Years. Part of that was based off of positive outlooks from several analysts.

What remains to be seen is how players will respond when Anthem, and after that Dragon Age 4. Both games are expected to incorporate some kind of monetization or live element. Expectations will be high after Mass Effect: Andromeda failed to connect with gamers. And no doubt investors will be looking closely at how players respond.