Only 8 Days Left: EA Confirms Anthem Servers Will Permanently Shut Down on 12 January 2026

EA will permanently shut down Anthem’s servers on 12 January 2026, making the game unplayable for all owners, with just 8 days remaining to access BioWare’s ill-fated multiplayer title.

Electronic Arts has confirmed that support for Anthem, the multiplayer action RPG developed by BioWare, will end on 12 January 2026. After this date, all Anthem servers will be taken offline, rendering the game completely inaccessible, even for those who have purchased it. This abrupt end to Anthem underscores the vulnerability of live service games, placing it alongside other titles that have become unplayable due to server deactivation.

Key Dates and Official Statements

• Shutdown Date: 12 January 2026
• Announcement: EA publicly announced the sunset plan in summer 2025.
• Official EA Statement: “After careful consideration, we will be sunsetting Anthem on January 12, 2026.”
• Time Remaining: 8 days left as of the announcement on 2 January 2026.

Once the servers go offline, “you won’t be able to play it, regardless of if you own it or not,” as noted by Eurogamer. The finality of this approach has resulted in increased frustration among players, many of whom have called for preservation measures for digital-only and live-service titles.

The Downfall of Anthem and Community Response

Anthem’s closure is the culmination of a troubled lifecycle. Launched in 2019 after years of anticipation, the game failed to attract and retain a substantial player base, prompting BioWare and EA to pull the plug. Key figures behind the project reflected on its internal conflict, calling Anthem a “dichotomy,” a game that “tried to be two things (a BioWare experience and a multiplayer game) but ended up being neither.”

Reviewers at Eurogamer labelled Anthem “a game shaken apart by its own identity crisis.” BioWare once considered a major overhaul, dubbed Anthem 2.0, intended to revitalise the experience. These plans were ultimately abandoned, cementing Anthem’s reputation as one of live service gaming’s most high-profile failures.

The practice of shutting down paid games, a subject of widespread debate, has spawned advocacy efforts, such as the Stop Destroying Games and Stop Killing Games movements. Both campaigns urge governments to implement protections against the loss of purchased digital games. However, as the original report points out, the economics are complex: if a game cannot attract a large enough audience to justify ongoing operational costs, companies face running it at a loss or retiring it. As for open-sourcing server code or transferring hosting to the community, industry sources caution “the latter option is not as straightforward as it sounds.”

• Community Campaigns: Stop Destroying Games, Stop Killing Games
• Advocacy Focus: Requesting government intervention to protect ownership of purchased digital games
• Persistent Issue: Players may lose access to purchased products permanently when servers shut down

BioWare’s Turbulent Decade and Corporate Uncertainty

Anthem’s shutdown marks the latest in a string of setbacks for BioWare. Its woes began with Mass Effect: Andromeda in 2017. After riding high on the success of Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014, the studio has since faced commercial and critical struggles. The recent launch of Dragon Age: The Veilguard in 2024, following a notoriously unstable development history, including years spent as a multiplayer project, did little to reverse BioWare’s fortunes.

Looking forward, the studio’s fate appears to rest on the success of the next Mass Effect game. The wider context is further complicated by EA’s rumoured sports-focused acquisition by Saudi Arabian interests, a move that may introduce radical changes or further uncertainty for BioWare’s direction.

• Timeline of Setbacks:
  • 2014 – Dragon Age: Inquisition acclaimed high point
  • 2017 – Mass Effect: Andromeda underperforms
  • 2019 – Anthem launches, fails to meet expectations
  • 2024 – Dragon Age: The Veilguard releases after turbulent development
• Next Key Title: Fifth Mass Effect (in development, critical to the studio’s survival)
• Impending Corporate Change: EA nearing acquisition by Saudi Arabian interests with implied focus on sports gaming

Official Quotes and Citable Statements

• EA: “After careful consideration, we will be sunsetting Anthem on January 12, 2026.”
• Eurogamer review: “A game shaken apart by its own identity crisis.”
• BioWare source: “A dichotomy” Anthem “tried to be two things (a BioWare experience and a multiplayer game) but ended up being neither.”
• Feature report: “You won’t be able to play it, regardless of if you own it or not.”

For players and preservationists, Anthem’s legacy is a cautionary tale about the impermanence of online-only experiences and the broader risks endemic to the live service model. With the shutdown now imminent, EA and BioWare have made no announcement about transferring servers or open-sourcing code, making the loss conclusive. All eyes remain on BioWare’s upcoming Mass Effect as both studio and fans look to the future.