BioWare’s ambitious yet ultimately troubled looter shooter, Anthem, will cease operations on January 12, 2026, as announced in a recent blog post by EA. Initially lauded for its visuals and potential as an action RPG, the game quickly became a significant disappointment for both developers and the publisher, Electronic Arts. Following the cancellation of a planned reboot, players have been aware that the game’s servers would one day go offline, but the specific date was previously unknown.
According to the blog, once the servers are deactivated, players will no longer have access to the game. EA clarified that an offline mode, similar to what was provided for the failed live-service title Redfall, will not be made available. Additionally, Anthem will be removed from EA Play starting August 15, 2025.
Former Kotaku writer Jason Schreier has detailed the troubled development history of Anthem, describing it as a prolonged period of production chaos. The game struggled to define its identity, with critical features only coming together at the last moment. Schreier noted in 2019, “it wasn’t even clear what kind of game Anthem was until that E3 demo in June of 2017.” Upon release, players encountered numerous bugs and lackluster gameplay, leading many to compare it unfavorably to titles like Warframe and Destiny.
Despite hopes among a segment of the fanbase for a resurgence akin to No Man’s Sky, EA ultimately abandoned its ambitious plans for a revamped version of the game, often referred to as Anthem 2.0. In recent years, copies of Anthem have been available for rock-bottom prices at retailers like GameStop.
Though the game has not seen any updates in a long time and has been largely considered defunct, a small group of dedicated fans continues to extract enjoyment from the limited content that remains. With a countdown to shutdown underway, the community now faces a deadline for acquiring any last achievements or coveted loot.
