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Following a brief reveal at EA's E3 2017 showcase, Anthem got a much more detailed outing at the Microsoft press conference (the full video is embedded below). Running on EA's Frostbite engine, the Anthem demo showcased giant AT-AT-like robotic walkers alongside what appeared to be a vast open-world filled with nasty creatures and alien enemies called "Scars."

Like Destiny, Anthem appears to be based around four-player co-op, with players taking on the role of "freelancers" that take on jobs outside the safety of the city on behalf of citizens. As well as some slick jetpack action—which involved flying through a tunnel, a forest, and diving underwater—the demo also showed some slick combat with a mean-looking shotgun.

Introducing Anthem, EA's Patrick Soderlund said that "New IP is the lifeblood of our industry. It's also risky. At EA we have a lot of teams working on a lot of projects, and only the greatest will make their way to you. That's OK, it's all part of the creative process"

Anthem is the official name for "Dylan," a Bioware project that has been in development for several years. In an earnings call in May, EA CEO Andrew Wilson described the then unnamed project as "stunning."

"Gameplay mechanics are excellent," said Wilson, "and the action will be exhilarating. The game is built around a live service, and through our creative process, we've decided to add more to the disruptive new social designs for our players. To accommodate that, we are moving the launch date for this project into fiscal year '19."