[GameSpot] - Anthem Is Practically Free (At Least At One GameStop Location)

[343iBot]

At least one GameStop location is practically giving away copies of BioWare's abandoned looter shooter Anthem, as shown in a now-viral TikTok.

According to TikTok user clocklava, a recent visit to their local GameStop resulted in discovering a PlayStation 4 copy of Anthem for the low-low price of a single penny. Better yet, a GameStop employee "paid" that penny for this lucky customer, resulting in a free copy of Anthem.

BioWare's exo-suit filled third-person shooter Anthem didn't exactly catch on when it released back in 2019, which probably explains why the game is practically being given away at this particular GameStop. For a little context, I worked at GameStop for close to three years, and GameStop frequently "pennies out" items which are unlikely to sell in order to remove the products from inventory. This frequently happens to old strategy guides, t-shirts, and other products a store may have too many of but aren't likely to ever get rid of. Those "pennied out" items are then frequently marked up and tossed in the garbage, or more commonly, taken home by GameStop employees.

In actuality, the GameStop employee who gifted clocklava was essentially giving away a game that was destined for the dumpster, and the sad reality is the employee could potentially get in trouble for giving away a game that wasn't designated for sale. Thankfully, the location of this GameStop or the employee in question isn't disclosed in clocklava's video, so one can only hope there are no negative repercussions for anyone involved.

It's worth mentioning that GameStop.com is currently selling digital codes for Anthem for up to $60. Notably, GameStop does not list any pre-owned copies of Anthem for sale on its website, which means all physical copies of Anthem could have already been pennied out at some point. If you really want a copy, perhaps your friendly local GameStop employee will have some on hand ready to be tossed in the trash. You can also just play Anthem via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or EA Play.

Around a year after Anthem's launch, BioWare announced it would be looking to redesign and relaunch the game, which it billed as Anthem NEXT. BioWare and EA then pulled the plug on the project back in 2021, after spending over a year working on ideas for how to redesign the shooter, citing the impact of COVID-19 on production and the need to "laser focus" on new projects in the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises. Though Anthem isn't receiving any new updates, the game's servers will remain online for the time being.

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