It’s always tough to say goodbye in the world of video games. But the news that BioWare’s ambitious looter-shooter, Anthem, will have its servers shut down on January 12, 2026, hits a little differently. It’s the final, sad chapter for a game that, despite its many flaws, had a core concept that felt spectacular.
Anthem was, and is, a beautiful tragedy. It was a game burdened by expectations and a famously difficult development process. However, if you were one of the players who stuck with it, you know why this farewell feels so melancholy
Anthem had moments that no other game has managed to replicate.
The Javelin Suits and Flight: This was, hands down, the game’s greatest strength. Donning one of the four customizable Javelin exosuits—the balanced Ranger, the tanky Colossus, the speedy Interceptor, or the elemental Storm—felt incredible. Nothing beats the feeling of launching into the air and soaring over the lush, dangerous world of Bastion. The sound, the speed, the way your suit overheats if you fly too long—it was an Iron Man fantasy realized in a video game.
The Combat: Beyond just flying, the combat was visceral and satisfying. Each Javelin felt different, offering different playstyles, and the combo system – setting up an enemy with a primer effect (like ice) and then detonating it with a secondary detonator ability – created chaotic and explosive results.
The Visuals: Even years after launch, Anthem remains a stunning game. The lush jungles, towering rock formations, and the immense, unstable Shaper relics that punctuate the environment, make Bastion a fantastic world to remember.
The game takes place on an unfinished planet, shaped by a powerful, chaotic force known as the Anthem of Creation. Humanity survives only within walled cities, like Fort Tarsis, constantly threatened by dangerous creatures, hostile human factions, and world-ending Cataclysms caused by unstable ancient technology left behind by the “Shapers.”
You play as a Freelancer, a group of mercenary pilots who take on contracts to keep the peace outside the city walls. The main plot revolves around confronting the tyrannical Dominion faction, who seek to control a powerful Shaper relic called the Cenotaph and weaponize the Anthem of Creation itself.
The ultimate fate of Anthem is what makes its shuttering so sad. It was a game with a golden core—unforgettable flying, addictive combat, and a gorgeous world—that was let down by its execution, especially its post-launch content, loot progression, and technical stability.
BioWare had even started working on a massive overhaul, codenamed Anthem NEXT (or Anthem 2.0), promising to fix the core issues and finally deliver on the game’s immense potential. But in February 2021, the decision was made to cease all future development to focus resources on the studio’s other franchises, Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
Now, the finality of the server shutdown means that one of the most mechanically satisfying experiences in recent memory will simply vanish. It’s a tragic reminder that in the “live service” world, if a game doesn’t meet certain commercial expectations, even phenomenal mechanics and a passionate fanbase can’t keep the lights on forever.
So, for those who loved those breathtaking flights, the earth-shaking Colossus stomps, and the elemental fireworks of the Storm, take one last flight into the skies of Bastion before the lights go out.
