BioWare has confirmed that Anthem will officially be shut down on 12 January 2026. This means players who love the troubled game, such as one of our very own editors Elliot, have just over six months to continue exploring the world of Bastion before the servers go offline.
As of now, in-game premium currency can no longer be purchased but players can still spend any remaining balance until the game is sunset. Once the servers are offline, Anthem will no longer be playable as it was designed to be always online.
The studio shared the news in a brief update, thanking fans for their continued support, saying, “We deeply appreciate your dedication, passion and support over the years and we’d like to thank you for that.” Anthem will also be removed from the EA Play subscription service on 15 August 2025. Players who already own the game will still be able to download and play it until the servers go down next year. BioWare confirmed that no staff have lost their jobs as a result of this decision, which is a breath of fresh air in the current time and place of the video games industry.
Anthem launched in February 2019 as BioWare’s attempt to break into the live-service market, taking inspiration from games like Destiny and The Division. Set in an alien world filled with ruins and hostile creatures, the game allowed players to pilot customisable exosuits called Javelins. It actually featured impressive visuals, our review stating “the landscapes are beautifully crafted and gorgeous”. We also loved the flying and combat mechanics, explaining, “although once again it’s the traversal that stands out with hovering in the air, quick dodging, and flying out of danger to find the next vantage point working superbly in the game’s favour”. Hallmarks of BioWare’s production quality.
However, the game’s core design didn’t hold up. Repetitive missions, weak story progression, confusing menus, and a lack of meaningful endgame content quickly left players frustrated.
Just months after launch, Anthem’s struggles became clear. In June 2019, publisher EA admitted the game “isn’t working very well”, but claimed it was recommitting to making it better. Around the same time, Anthem’s lead producer Ben Irving left BioWare, raising further doubts about the game’s future. In 2020, BioWare announced plans for a major overhaul, dubbed Anthem NEXT, which promised to fix many of the game’s underlying issues. However, after months of little news, the studio confirmed in early 2021 that development on Anthem NEXT had been cancelled.
With BioWare now focused on its other blockbuster franchises, Anthem’s shutdown marks the end of a long and bumpy journey and in-jokes. It was a game full of potential, but one that ultimately couldn’t live up to its promise.
