Failed Video Game Shutting Down Servers in 2026

Back in 2019, Electronic Arts and BioWare released Anthem , a live-service video game that both companies hoped would be the next big thing in the looter-shooter genre.

However, the game was plagued by countless issues upon release and in the months that followed, leading to a quick drop in player count and ultimately a failed product.

Fast forward to 2025 and Anthem , which hasn't received a major update in years, is still up and running, but EA announced earlier this month that the game will be shutting down its servers in January.

"We have an important update to share regarding Anthem. After careful consideration, we will be sunsetting Anthem on January 12, 2026," the statement said. 

"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."

Because Anthem is online-only, players will no longer be able to play it at all after servers shut down in 2026.

According to a 2019 article by Jason Schreier for Kotaku , he detailed BioWare's unbelievably messy development of Anthem that included several issues, like a lack of direction from leadership and a terribly stressful work environment, just to name a few.

"I actually cannot count the amount of 'stress casualties' we had on Mass Effect: Andromeda or Anthem ," a former BioWare developer said. "A 'stress casualty' at BioWare means someone had such a mental breakdown from the stress they're just gone for one to three months. Some come back, some don't."

The game was in development for nearly seven years, yet it didn't enter production until the final 18 months, Schreier's article noted.

BioWare did initially have plans to reboot the game , but that was axed, much to the chagrin of the game's most ardent supporters.

While it was plagued by long loading screens, loot issues, a lack of content and other problems, Anthem did shine with it's flying mechanic and combat.

The feeling of zipping across an Anthem map in a mech suit while blowing up bad guys hasn't been matched by any game since — and it may never be — making the game's failure even more painful to witness.

Believe it or not, Anthem still has an active community six years later, albeit a small one. There is currently a petition on Change.org that aims to save Anthem . As of this writing, the petition has 2,525 signatures.

Related: Beloved PlayStation 2 Game Still Has an Active Community That Wants a Remaster

Failed Video Game Shutting Down Servers in 2026 first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 28, 2025