Gamers online are clamoring for EA to add an offline mode to Anthem before it shuts down for good. It was recently confirmed that Anthem will shut down on January 12, 2026, and as it stands, it will be completely unplayable after this date.
Anthem‘s launch back in 2019 received a mixed reception from players and critics alike. The game currently holds a Top Critic Average of 61 on review aggregator site OpenCritic, with just 13% of critics recommending it to players. Much of the criticism was aimed at its repetitive gameplay and boring narrative, representing a stark departure from what fans had come to expect from BioWare games. Anthem failed as a result, leaving only a small but dedicated player base still playing in 2025.
Related
Anthem: Why You Should Give it a Second Chance
Though it wasn’t an initial hit for BioWare, Anthem still has the potential makings of a good game if players and developers give it a second chance.
As spotted by TheGamer, early fan reactions on Reddit to Anthem‘s shutdown announcement have focused on the possibility of EA retroactively adding an offline mode to the game. One comment says they “wish they would enable offline mode or P2P,” while another points out that “Anthem is unique,” and so “they need to incorporate some kind of offline mode prior to shutdown.” They also mentioned that “The game might as well be single player anyways, I barely run into other players just exploring anymore,” even if that’s not how the game was initially designed.
Gamers Want EA to Add an Offline Mode to Anthem
Meanwhile, similar discussions are happening over on the EA forums, with one user claiming that to “shut down and completely remove a game people have put money into (especially without refunds) is a worrying and dangerous precedent.” While it’s a great idea, it may be easier said than done. Regardless of how the gameplay loop would adapt to offline gameplay, there may be more going on under the hood of Anthem that makes an offline mode difficult at best. Given that Anthem has already proven to be a commercial flop, it’s hard to imagine EA or BioWare putting in the resources required to give it an offline mode ahead of its January 12, 2026, shutdown.
Anthem‘s imminent closure comes at an interesting time for the conversation of live-service video game preservation. The Stop Killing Games petition has been blowing up of late, sparking plenty of discussion about whether companies have a duty to provide gamers with a way to play their online-only games offline after the servers have been closed. There is no guarantee that Stop Killing Games will be successful, but it’s interesting how Anthem‘s shutdown announcement has been a reminder of why this kind of campaign is important for consumers.
Anthem
- Released
-
February 22, 2019
- ESRB
-
T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Language, Mild Blood, Use of Tobacco, Violence
- Publisher(s)
-
Electronic Arts
- Engine
-
Frostbite 3