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Anthem shut down on January 12, 2026, and its online-only design means there is no offline mode or disc-based way to keep playing. For a replacement, choose Helldivers 2 for coordinated, objective-led four-player missions; Warframe for customizable combat suits, acrobatic movement and weapon progression; or The First Descendant for a free-entry, four-player shooter. Destiny 2 is still playable, but Bungie released its final planned live-service content update on June 9, 2026. None is an exact substitute for Anthem’s sustained Javelin flight.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Free plan / price | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helldivers 2 | Coordinated, objective-led co-op missions | Up to four players; internet required | Price not stated | PS5, PC and Xbox | Nov 2026 |
| Warframe | Customizable combat forms and gear progression | Up to four players per mission; cross-platform play and save | Free-entry | Platforms not stated | Nov 2026 |
| The First Descendant | Free-entry four-player shooter missions | Four online players; crossplay and cross-progression | Free-entry; optional purchases include random items | PS5, Steam and Xbox | Nov 2026 |
| Destiny 2 | A broad multiplayer activity library | Fireteam Ops, raids and dungeons; final planned content update June 9, 2026 | Some activities require an expansion or Dungeon Key; overall price not stated | Platforms not stated | Nov 2026 |
Why can’t I play Anthem now?
EA and BioWare ended Anthem’s server availability on January 12, 2026. The game was designed to run online, so its retirement removed access to the game rather than merely ending updates or matchmaking.
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EA announced the shutdown on July 3, 2025. Its announcement has one FAQ sentence that refers to January 13, but the stated server-availability date and the other FAQ answers consistently give January 12. EA’s answer to the offline-mode question is unambiguous: the game has no offline fallback. A purchased digital copy still depends on the servers, and a physical disc does not provide a separate playable version once they are gone. The BioWare Team said in EA’s game update, “Anthem was designed to be an online-only title so once the servers go offline, the game will no longer be playable.”
That changes what “replacement” should mean. You can look for the parts of Anthem that mattered to you—squad objectives, powered-armor abilities, building a loadout, or mobility—but none of these picks restores its particular sustained Javelin flight. And a game that allows solo play is not necessarily an offline game: Helldivers 2, for example, still requires an internet connection.
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Which Anthem alternative should you choose?
Start with the feature you most want back, then check whether your friends can join on their platforms and whether you are comfortable with the game’s online-service and spending model. The closest match depends on that priority, not on a single overall ranking.
- Choose Helldivers 2 if the key draw was dropping into missions with a squad, coordinating equipment and completing shared objectives.
- Choose Warframe if you want a customizable armored combatant, a more acrobatic movement style and extensive weapon progression.
- Choose The First Descendant if you want a free-entry, online four-player shooter with documented solo and cooperative activities.
- Consider Destiny 2 if you want a playable library of multiplayer activities, while accepting that planned live-service content updates have ended.
Free entry describes access, not every purchase or activity. The First Descendant has optional purchases that include random items; Destiny 2 gates some activities behind an expansion or Dungeon Key. The evidence here does not establish current storefront prices, so check the relevant store for the price and access terms in your region before deciding.
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- Name the feature you miss most. If it is a squad working toward objectives, begin with Helldivers 2. If it is shaping a combat identity through suits, abilities and weapons, start with Warframe. If you mainly want a free-entry team shooter, try The First Descendant. If you want different types of multiplayer activities in one library, look at Destiny 2.
- Check the group size and platform. Helldivers 2 and Warframe support squads of up to four; The First Descendant lists four online players. Verify current platform availability for your region, especially before buying or planning a cross-platform group.
- Check what “free” or “available” includes. Free entry does not mean every activity, item or optional purchase is free. Destiny 2 has activities requiring an expansion or Dungeon Key, and The First Descendant offers optional purchases that include random items.
- Decide how much online-service dependence you accept. Anthem’s shutdown shows that a disc or purchase cannot guarantee indefinite access when servers are essential. These choices are not offline substitutes; check their current access terms before investing time or money.
Is Helldivers 2 the best alternative for co-op missions?
It is the clearest fit if you miss Anthem’s squad-based missions more than its flight or individualized armor progression. Helldivers 2 is a third-person, objective-led cooperative shooter built around drops for as many as four players, with coordinated loadouts and stratagems.
What carries over from Anthem?
The strongest overlap is the structure of playing with a small squad toward shared mission goals. Choosing equipment and coordinating its use gives players a reason to plan together, rather than treating the mission as four unrelated solo runs. PlayStation lists the game for PS5, PC and Xbox, while Arrowhead’s FAQ and the PlayStation listing identify a four-player squad.
What does not carry over?
Helldivers 2 is not an armor-flight game, and it should not be presented as a Javelin substitute. Its distinguishing fit here is cooperative, objective-led combat—not sustained aerial traversal or the same character-and-gear fantasy.
What should you check before joining friends?
The game requires an internet connection. On PS5, online play requires PS Plus. For platform availability, PlayStation’s current listing includes Xbox and dates that launch to August 26, 2025; an Arrowhead developer FAQ updated in September 2026 still lists only PS5 and Steam. The current PlayStation game listing is the broader platform reference, but check the store or publisher listing for your region before purchase.
Arrowhead says solo play is possible, but that does not make the game playable offline. If you are choosing it for a solo session, treat it as a way to play without a squad, not as a way to avoid the online service.
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Is Warframe a good choice for armor customization and progression?
Warframe is the strongest match for players who want to shape a combat identity through different suits, abilities, movement and weapons. It offers free entry and missions for up to four players, but its parkour and gliding are not equivalent to Anthem’s sustained Javelin flight.
How its combat suits and movement differ
Players control customizable Warframes, each with abilities, and can build out their equipment with upgradeable weapons. The combination gives progression and loadout choices a central role. Movement emphasizes parkour, sliding and gliding; those systems can make traversal feel fast and expressive without becoming sustained powered flight.
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Digital Extremes’ multiplayer guide says a squad can include up to four Tenno. The game also documents cross-platform play and cross-platform save, useful if friends use different supported platforms or you may move between systems. The platform list is not established in the official details cited here, so verify current platform availability directly before installing.
Two limits to know before you commit
Some story missions require solo entry, so a four-player squad limit does not mean every mission can be completed together. Also, cross-save account linking has a consequential rule: the chosen primary account’s progress is permanently privileged. Read Digital Extremes’ official linking guide before linking accounts, especially if you have played on more than one platform.
That distinction matters if you are choosing Warframe because your whole group wants to play every story beat together. The four-player specification applies to missions generally, not to every story mission; check whether the activity you plan to tackle permits a squad. Likewise, cross-platform play and cross-platform save are different conveniences: play concerns joining people on supported platforms, while save concerns account progress across platforms. The permanent primary-account rule is a reason to read the account-linking instructions before making a change, not after.
Is The First Descendant worth trying as a free-entry alternative?
The First Descendant is the straightforward option if you want to start without an upfront game price and play online missions with up to four people. Its documented platform support includes PS5, Steam and Xbox, alongside crossplay and cross-progression.
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Where it overlaps with Anthem
It is a cooperative shooter with solo and group activities documented in 2026, so it can serve readers looking for both multiplayer missions and the option to play alone. Its free-entry status lowers the initial barrier to trying it, though it does not establish that every item or activity is free.
What the free-entry label does—and does not—tell you
PlayStation’s listing identifies four online players and says online play is required. Nexon documents crossplay and cross-progression. Optional purchases include random items, so players who prefer to avoid that kind of spending should review the current in-game purchase details before committing time or money.
Do not pick it on the assumption that its armor or traversal reproduces Anthem’s flight. The supported comparison is the cooperative shooter structure, not a claim that the movement or suit mechanics are the same.
“Can I play solo?” and “Can I play offline?” are separate questions here. Solo activities are documented, but the game requires online play; going in without a squad does not provide offline access. If your reason for leaving Anthem is specifically to avoid another always-online dependency, that is an important limitation rather than a minor platform detail.
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Should you choose Destiny 2 for a continuing co-op library?
Destiny 2 remains playable and offers Fireteam Ops, raids and dungeons, making it a candidate if you want several kinds of multiplayer activity in one game. It is not accurate, however, to treat it as a live service with planned new content continuing: Bungie released its final planned content update on June 9, 2026.
What remains available
The documented activity mix gives groups different formats to pursue, from smaller Fireteam Ops to raids and dungeons. That breadth is a reason to consider the game if your priority is a varied multiplayer catalog rather than a direct powered-armor analogue.
What the end of planned updates means
The end of planned content updates is not the same as the game becoming unplayable. Bungie may still issue stability hotfixes, but readers should not expect new planned seasons or future live-service releases based on the June 9, 2026 announcement. Some activities require an expansion or Dungeon Key, so the full catalog should not be described as free. Check which activities are included with your account before choosing it as a group destination.
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For a group comparing access, make a list of the activities you actually intend to play and confirm the ownership requirement for each one. A game can remain playable while parts of its catalog are gated, and “still playable” does not mean every player has access to every activity. Nor does continued availability promise a new planned content cycle. That makes Destiny 2 a reasonable pick for its existing activity variety, not for an expectation of new planned seasons.
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All four recommendations depend on an online game service in some way; none is a route to an offline Anthem replacement. Before a group commits, match each player’s platform, account expectations and tolerance for service dependence to the game’s specific rules.
- Confirm platform support rather than assuming it. The listed platforms differ, and platform listings can change. For Helldivers 2, use the current PlayStation listing for the documented Xbox availability; for the other games, check the relevant storefront for current regional access.
- Ask whether cross-platform play is essential. Warframe and The First Descendant document cross-platform play or crossplay. Do not infer support for Helldivers 2 or Destiny 2 from their presence on multiple platforms; the cited platform details do not establish it.
- Distinguish playing solo from playing offline. A solo option can mean no squadmates, not local or offline access. Helldivers 2 explicitly requires internet, and The First Descendant is described as requiring online play.
- Check account linking before changing platforms. Warframe’s cross-save system makes the selected primary account’s progress permanent in the linking arrangement. Understand that rule before combining platform accounts.
- Check the actual access gate. Free entry, a base game, an expansion and a Dungeon Key are different things. Confirm the current price and which activities are included on the store or publisher page for your region.
- Consider service longevity. Anthem demonstrates the risk of a game whose servers are essential. A replacement that requires online access can also depend on continued service, so do not assume that owning a copy guarantees indefinite access.
A practical group check takes only a few minutes: have everyone name their platform, confirm whether the game supports the group’s intended play arrangement, and verify any subscription or paid-content gate before scheduling a session. For Helldivers 2, that means accounting for internet access and, on PS5, PS Plus for online play. For Warframe, settle any account-linking questions before consolidating progress. For Destiny 2, identify expansions or Dungeon Keys required by the intended activities. For The First Descendant, understand that it is online-only and review optional purchase details if random-item purchases are a concern.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which part of Anthem do you miss?
If it was four-person objectives, start with Helldivers 2. If you miss experimenting with combat forms and building a weapon setup, try Warframe. If you want a free-entry four-player shooter, consider The First Descendant. If a broad activity library matters more than a stream of planned updates, Destiny 2 remains playable, with the content and ownership caveats above.
These are matches for different parts of Anthem, not replacements that restore its exact flight or remove the risks of an online-only game. Check current service and access terms before spending, and treat any title tied to remote servers as dependent on a service that can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play Helldivers 2 solo?
Yes. Arrowhead says solo play is possible, though it still requires an internet connection. Playing alone means entering without a squad, not switching the game to offline mode.
Can I play these games with friends on different platforms?
Warframe documents cross-platform play, and Nexon documents crossplay for The First Descendant. The cited platform details do not establish cross-platform play for Helldivers 2 or Destiny 2, so confirm that feature with the publisher before organizing a group.
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Does cross-save in Warframe merge all my accounts equally?
No: Digital Extremes says the account chosen as primary permanently privileges its progress in the linking arrangement. Review the official linking guide before connecting accounts that already have separate progress.
Why can’t I play Anthem in offline mode?
Anthem was designed as an online-only game. EA and BioWare ended server availability on January 12, 2026, and neither a digital purchase nor a physical disc supplies an offline mode.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHow many players are in a Helldivers 2 squad?
A Helldivers 2 squad can include up to four players. The game still requires an internet connection, and PS5 online play requires PS Plus.
Can I play The First Descendant offline?
No. Online play is required. The game documents solo and cooperative activities, but playing solo does not mean playing offline.
Is The First Descendant free?
It is free-entry, so you can start without an upfront game price. Optional purchases include random items, and free entry does not mean every item or activity is free.
Is Destiny 2 still getting new seasons or planned content?
Bungie released its final planned live-service content update on June 9, 2026. Destiny 2 remains playable and may receive stability hotfixes, but planned new content updates should not be expected; some activities also require an expansion or Dungeon Key.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Helldivers 2 is the strongest fit for coordinated four-player objectives, Warframe for customizable combat and progression, and The First Descendant for a free-entry online shooter. Destiny 2 remains playable for its activity library, but planned content updates ended in June 2026. None restores Anthem’s sustained Javelin flight, and none should be mistaken for an offline replacement.
