Anthem Players Report Access Issues Ahead of Game Shutdown Next Week

We’re just a week away from the shutdown of Anthem, BioWare’s 2019 looter shooter that never quite found its footing and missed out on the revival the studio had hinted at. Initially, it was announced that players who purchased the game could continue to enjoy it until it goes offline permanently on January 12. However, as the final date approaches, some players attempting to take their Javelins for one last flight have found themselves unable to launch the game.

This issue came to light when several users shared posts on X, showing screenshots that indicated they could no longer download Anthem despite having bought it in the past seven years. The EA app informed them that they “don’t own” the game anymore. A friend of mine who had access through EA Play tried to download it on his PC and received a message stating, “this game is no longer offered in our catalog.”

Anthem is shutting down for good in a week, so I thought I’d play one more time.

The EA App won’t even let me download it even though I own it.pic.twitter.com/spVNJd9six

— DansGaming (@Dansgaming) January 5, 2026

Others have echoed similar frustrations, noting that EA won’t allow them to download Anthem, even with the shutdown looming. It’s baffling that players who purchased the game can’t even access it while it’s still supposedly operational… pic.twitter.com/cRu0s4DU1N

— Luke Stephens (@LukeStephens) January 5, 2026

Interestingly, this doesn’t appear to be a widespread problem, as some players, like Kotaku’s Ethan Gach, were able to download the game without any issues from the EA Play app.

Regardless of the specifics, it seems that at least some Anthem players who wanted to give the game one last go before it disappears into the digital ether are now out of luck. The mech shooter has been unavailable for purchase since the shutdown announcement in July, but those who had it in their library or on disc were supposed to have one final week to play.

We’ve reached out to EA and BioWare for clarification on the situation and will provide updates if we receive a response. This whole mess could have been avoided if BioWare had made Anthem accessible offline, but the studio insists it was “designed to be an online-only title.” This stands in contrast to other failed live-service games like Redfall and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, both of which received offline modes before their eventual shutdowns.