EA has announced that it will officially shut down the online multiplayer game Anthem on January 12, 2026. The decision comes as the game struggled to meet sales expectations after its release in February 2019. Anthem will be unplayable post-shutdown, with in-game premium currency ceasing sales immediately. EA Play will remove Anthem on August 15, 2025, but players can still access it if downloaded prior. Despite attempts to improve Anthem through updates, active development was halted in February 2021. The move comes amidst a series of layoffs and restructurings within EA, although the company reassured that the shutdown would not lead to further layoffs.
nWhen is Anthem shutting down?Anthem will shut down on January 12, 2026, making it unplayable thereafter.
nAnthem was developed by BioWare and launched to mixed reviews, criticized for its grindy gameplay and lack of content variety. The game aimed to revolutionize the multiplayer experience but ultimately fell short, with only 5 million copies sold against a target of 6 million shortly after launch. The shutdown reflects EA's shifting focus towards other projects, including the development of Mass Effect 5 at BioWare, especially after the lackluster performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
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Comments
It's always tough to see a game with such ambitious ideas fizzle out, but at least Anthem's sunset gives players plenty of time for one last flight. Here's hoping BioWare takes these hard lessons into their next big RPG projects.
Anthem's shutdown feels like the final nail in the coffin for a game that never quite lived up to its sky-high potential. At least BioWare can now fully focus on making Mass Effect 5 something special.
Kinda wild that Anthem gets a full shutdown while other struggling live-service games limp along – guess EA really wants to wipe this one from memory.