EA has announced that Anthem’s servers will be taken offline on January 12th, 2026. Once that happens, players won’t be able to access the game anymore, even if they own a physical copy. This news hits hard for fans of the online shooter, where teamwork and choosing different javelin exosuits were key to the experience.
For those who didn’t go deep into Anthem, it was an online multiplayer game where up to four players teamed up. The promise was an interesting story with memorable characters, but the reality didn’t quite live up to expectations. The story felt pretty straightforward, and the game struggled with issues like a dull loot system and a lack of content. Honestly, the trailers before release looked way better than what you got. Additionally, many promises made by the developers didn’t materialize.
In February 2020, EA and BioWare announced plans for Anthem Next (also known as Anthem 2.0), aiming to revamp the gameplay. But a year later, they scrapped those plans entirely. So, whatever hope was left for a comeback kind of vanished.
Until now, players who bought the game could still play it online, even though BioWare stopped updating it. Sadly, since Anthem never had an offline mode, once the servers shut down, the game will be effectively dead. No more flying around in javelin suits for us after January 12th, 2026.
Coincidentally, the server shutdown will happen the same day the “Stop Killing Games” petition reaches 1 million signatures. This movement encourages developers to incorporate offline modes or mechanisms that allow games to remain playable even after servers are closed. But, since this petition came too late for Anthem, it won’t save it. Kinda ironic, right?
Many players don’t like online-only games for this exact reason. Believe it or not, some single-player titles also require an internet connection to play. This is why the “Stop Killing Games” campaign has gained traction, and it’s a cause I’m rooting for. Hopefully, future games will respect players more by including offline options, especially given the recent layoffs and industry uncertainty.
