EA Confirms Anthem Will Go Offline in January 2026

Anthem (Credit: EA/Bioware)

Electronic Arts has officially announced that Anthem, the sci-fi online multiplayer shooter developed by BioWare, will be shutting down its servers on January 12, 2026.

Until then, players who already own the game can continue playing it online, but Anthem will become completely unplayable after that date, as it doesn’t support offline gameplay. 

New in-game currency purchases have been disabled, though existing balances can still be used until the shutdown.

EA shared the update via an official blog post, confirming that Anthem will also be removed from the EA Play library on August 15, 2025. From that point onward, the game will only be available to players who have previously purchased it.

It has also been delisted from Steam and the Xbox store, meaning no new purchases can be made across platforms.

While EA didn’t provide a specific reason for pulling the plug, it did clarify that the shutdown has not resulted in any layoffs at BioWare. This is noteworthy given the studio’s past restructuring and the broader wave of industry layoffs, including thousands from Microsoft recently.

Originally released in February 2019, Anthem launched with high expectations but struggled to find a lasting audience. EA had hoped for 6 million sales in its first 6 weeks, but it quickly became clear that the title was falling short. Reviews were mixed, praising the combat and visuals but criticizing weak narrative design and confusing systems.

The game’s rocky start led to a quick loss of momentum, and by early 2021, development updates had essentially stopped. Director Jon Warner left BioWare not long after, and talk of a revitalized “Anthem Next” project eventually fizzled out.

Still, EA CEO Andrew Wilson once said that Anthem was part of a “seven to ten year cycle” and expressed hope that the team could eventually deliver something “special and great.” But that vision never materialized.

Now, nearly seven years after its launch, Anthem is quietly preparing for its final chapter. BioWare released an FAQ addressing what players can expect. One key takeaway: after January 12, 2026, the game will no longer be accessible in any form, as it relies entirely on online servers.

Players who using EA Play or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate have until mid-August 2025 to try it out under those subscriptions. After that, only prior purchasers will have access—until the servers go dark for good in January.

BioWare’s legacy, however, isn’t defined by Anthem alone. The studio is still home to approximately 100 employees currently working on Mass Effect 5, and its past hits include Baldur’s Gate, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect—all of which helped cement its reputation as a titan in the RPG space.

With Anthem heading into the sunset, the hope now is that BioWare can focus its resources on the titles that truly made the studio iconic.