EA’s Anthem has had a turbulent history since its launch. The game was released on February 22, 2019 to mixed reviews. While critics and fans praised the combat and visuals, the overall gameplay, as well as the action, seemed repetitive. According to former executive producer Mark Darrah, the game failed to find its identity even during the development phase.
Anthem will be permanently discontinued on January 12, 2026. This article explores why.
EA will shut down Anthem on January 12, 2026, after it failed to meet expectations
From the start, Anthem was not doing well financially. At least not as well as EA expected. According to SuperData, the game generated over $100 million in revenue upon launch. Unfortunately, it did not sell enough copies to meet the publisher’s goals.
During an earnings call in 2019, EA CEO Andrew Wilson noted that the game failed to meet his expectations.. At the same time, Blake Jorgensen, the CFO, had mentioned that they expected the game to sell 5 to 6 million copies at launch. It’s unclear how many copies the game sold, but that probably wasn’t what the publisher wanted.
There were other issues that haunted the game’s journey. Former executive producer Mark Darrah argued that Anthem should have been delayed so that it can be integrated into a better game with a stronger sense of identity.
Anthem is a live service game; it’s a genre that BioWare wasn’t very familiar with. Therefore, the game would represent a big risk and a major change from what the developers were used to. Besides, the reviews said it all when the game was released. Even if critics and players recognized its strengths, its limitations were also visible.
Anthem has been criticized for its lack of content and repetitive nature. this could tire the players. The overall execution of the game felt flawed and incomplete. However, the game’s mechanics were highly praised by many. The fight was highly appreciated by fans who recognized its potential.
This feedback was taken seriously by BioWare and EA, who began working on an overhaul of the game. In 2020, it was announced that the game would be reimagined for a better experience.
Unfortunately, for reasons that remain unknown, EA ultimately decided to shut down the game. On July 3, 2025, the publisher announced that the game would be discontinued on January 12, 2026 and that players who owned it would only be able to play it until then. It was quickly removed from online libraries.
Since Anthem is a live game, players who have purchased it can only play until the servers remain online. Once offline, the game becomes unplayable, even if one pays to own it.
In a nutshell, the game is shutting down because it doesn’t meet EA’s overall expectations, likely due to issues during and after development.
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Edited by Prit Chauhan
