(Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Adobe plans to shut down Adobe Animate, a 2D animation software used to create vector-based animations for websites, games, and cartoons.
As of March 1, the company will stop accepting new sign-ups. Existing users can continue using the software beyond that date, but technical support will end on March 1, 2027. To avoid losing work, users must download files before that technical support ends.
Enterprise customers have an extended timeframe for downloads; they’ll be able to export their files through March 1, 2029. Adobe has begun notifying users about the changes via email.
"Animate has been a product that has existed for over 25 years and has served its purpose well for creating, nurturing, and developing the animation ecosystem," Adobe says on a support page. "As technologies evolve, new platforms and paradigms emerge that better serve the needs of the users."
Adobe recommends that customers with a Creative Cloud Pro plan use Adobe After Effects for complex keyframe animation or Adobe Express for simpler animation effects on photos, videos, text, and shapes.
Animate users, including creators behind animation series Chikn Nuggit, have expressed their displeasure on social media. “Adobe has been legendary at destroying great products,” writes one user. “This is legit gonna ruin my life,” writes another.
As TechCrunch notes, the decision to discontinue Animate comes as the company continues to integrate more AI into its platforms.