EA enforces permanent shutdown of Anthem, no refunds issued

In a significant move announced recently, Electronic Arts (EA) has declared that the servers for Anthem, an online multiplayer game developed by BioWare, will be shut down permanently on January 12, 2026. This decision comes over four years after the game was initially released and almost five years following its discontinuation of new content updates after February 2021. Although it was still accessible for play, the closure will mean that players will entirely lose access to the game—a particularly contentious issue as many had purchased it without knowing it would eventually become unplayable. Since the game's launch, it has been fraught with problems, leading to a considerable investment of time and resources which compromised other major projects like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. As a result, many players feel disenchanted, especially given the game's design which relied heavily on online connectivity, even for those who engaged with its single-player elements. The announcement also aligns with larger consumer advocacy efforts, notably the movement dubbed 'Stop Killing Games,' which aims to contest the legality of publishers rendering purchased games unplayable by taking servers offline. This initiative has gathered over 1.1 million supporters and seeks recognition of video games as products sold without expiration dates. There is a growing concern among consumers about this trend in the gaming industry, with efforts to challenge such practices, particularly in Europe where legal action is being considered. The powerful statement made by 'Stop Killing Games' highlights that players deserve to retain access to games they have purchased, regardless of ongoing support from publishers, pointing to potentially unresolved legal implications surrounding these game closures.