EA and BioWare have officially announced that Anthem, the ambitious third‑person shooter launched in February 2019, will have its servers shut down on January 12, 2026. After seven years, the online-only experience will be completely unplayable once the current servers go offline.
What You Need to Know
- Playable until January 12, 2026: The game remains fully playable online for the next 180+ days.
- No more premium purchases, but any remaining in-game currency can still be spent before servers close.
- Delisted from EA Play & storefronts: Anthem was removed from digital sale and will leave EA Play on August 15, 2025.
- Game stays downloadable for current owners until the shutdown date
Why Anthem Is Finally Being Retired
Despite its soaring flight and impressive visuals, Anthem suffered from a weak narrative, repetitive loot loops, and technical bugs—creating a balance of highs and lows from day one. EA invested in Anthem 2.0 (NEXT) to revamp the core gameplay. But in February 2021, BioWare canceled the overhaul and shifted teams toward Dragon Age and Mass Effect projects.
Player activity dwindled sharply post-launch. Maintaining underused live servers no longer made business sense—and without ongoing development support, closure became inevitable.
It Could Have Been a Great Game
Anthem leaves a complicated legacy. Its flight and combat offered a glimpse of potential, but that promise was overshadowed by flawed execution and a failed relaunch plan. Its upcoming shutdown is a quiet reminder of the risks inherent in live‑service games—and how even big studios can’t guarantee ongoing support indefinitely.
