EA Is Shutting Down BioWare's Anthem Next Year

Electronic Arts (EA) has decided to shut down Bioware's multiplayer action game, Anthem, years after its underwhelming launch. The company announced Thursday it would sunset the game on January 12, 2026. Anthem will remain playable until it is taken offline, but EA is halting sales of the game's in-game premium currency. Anthem, BioWare's first live service title, launched on PC and consoles in 2019, but failed to attract a strong player base.

EA to Shut Down Anthem

In an update posted on its website, EA said Anthem's servers will remain online till January 12, 2026, after which the game will no longer be playable. Players won't be able to log in and play since the game is an online-only title.

“We have an important update to share regarding Anthem. After careful consideration, we will be sunsetting Anthem on January 12, 2026,” EA said in its update. “This means that the game will still be playable online for the next 180+ days. As of today, you can no longer purchase in-game premium currency, but you can still use your remaining balance until the servers go offline.”

While Anthem can no longer be purchased on digital storefronts, players who previously bought the game will be able to install it from their digital libraries and play until the servers are online. Anthem will also be removed from the EA Play playlist on August 15, 2025. EA also confirmed that shutting down Anthem would not result in any layoffs at BioWare.

Anthem launched across PC, PS4 and Xbox One on February 22, 2019, and marked a departure from BioWare's portfolio of single-player RPGs. The multiplayer title struggled to find a consistent player base, before BioWare stopped all future development on the game in 2021.

BioWare has since struggled to recapture its strong footing as a developer of acclaimed single-player franchises like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. The studio was hit with layoffs after Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of EA's sales expectations. The developer was reportedly downsized to less than 100 employees after several members of staff were laid off or relocated to other EA teams earlier this year.

The studio is now working on the next Mass Effect title under the leadership of veterans from the original trilogy, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others.