**The Oncoming Closure of Anthem: A Fragile Goodbye**
With January 12 approaching, the gaming community braces for the closure of **Anthem**, the troubled looter shooter from **BioWare** and **Electronic Arts (EA)**. Launched in 2019, Anthem aimed to highlight BioWare’s storytelling capabilities in a shared online realm. Regrettably, the game encountered substantial backlash upon its release, ultimately failing to deliver on promises of upgrades and a rejuvenated experience, culminating in the shutdown announcement last July.
Players who bought the game were initially promised they could continue playing until the servers ceased operations. However, with the end date drawing closer, some users are facing concerning problems: reports have surfaced of players being unable to download or access the game they once purchased. This has led to dissatisfaction among fans eager to embark on one final journey before the game disappears into oblivion.
Across social media networks like **X**, players are relaying their experiences, portraying the unforeseen technical issues. Numerous reports emphasize scenarios where long-time Anthem owners found themselves in trouble; they received notifications stating that they “don’t own” the game, and that Anthem is no longer found in the EA app’s library.
While some users dealt with this restrictive access, the reality differs among individuals. Remarkably, **Kotaku**’s Ethan Gach successfully downloaded the game from the EA Play app without any problems, indicating a disparity in how accounts are managed during this closure period.
The consequences are considerable for those wishing to revisit Anthem’s universe. With the original game unavailable for purchase since the shutdown announcement, players who sought to interact with their beloved title one last time are encountering obstacles. This disheartening situation sharply contrasts with other games that have provided offline modes before their closures, underscoring a noteworthy flaw in Anthem’s service design, which was entirely online from the outset.
As the final date for the server shutdown approaches, the gaming community is left contemplating Anthem’s rocky path—one characterized by lofty aspirations and unfulfilled promises. We await statements from EA and BioWare to elucidate this vexing situation for committed players. For the time being, the game’s legacy hovers over the franchise, a cautionary lesson of ambition, design decisions, and the intricacies of online gaming.
