Adobe Announces Plans to Discontinue 2D Animation App, Adobe Animate, in March 2027
In a move that has left the creative community reeling, Adobe announced yesterday that it will discontinue its 2D animation app, Adobe Animate. The decision, which was made by the company's leadership, comes as users are being given until March 1st, 2027, to download their files and access the software.
According to Adobe, the emergence of new platforms "that better serve the needs of the users" led to the decision. While this may seem like a neutral explanation, industry insiders believe that the move is largely driven by Adobe's increasing focus on artificial intelligence (AI). The company has already introduced AI-powered editing tools across its apps and rolled out an AI audio tool to add soundtracks and voiceovers to videos.
However, for many users, especially those in the animation community, the impending shutdown of Adobe Animate is a devastating blow. Many creators rely heavily on the app to produce their work, and the thought of having to abandon it is daunting. As one creator put it, "This decision would not only harm countless jobs in the industry but render so much past creations as lost media."
The impact of this move will be felt far beyond Adobe's animation community, with many high-budget television cartoon productions, film and animation studios, game studios big and small, using the app. The loss of a tool that has been an integral part of their workflow will undoubtedly cause significant disruption.
Adobe has stated that users can continue to use Animate until March 1st, 2027, after which point it will be available for download until that deadline. However, this may not provide enough time for many creators to adapt to new software and find alternative workflows.
The discontinuation of Adobe Animate marks the end of an era for many in the animation community, who have relied on the app for decades. As one creator noted, "It's a dark day for animators everywhere."
In a move that has left the creative community reeling, Adobe announced yesterday that it will discontinue its 2D animation app, Adobe Animate. The decision, which was made by the company's leadership, comes as users are being given until March 1st, 2027, to download their files and access the software.
According to Adobe, the emergence of new platforms "that better serve the needs of the users" led to the decision. While this may seem like a neutral explanation, industry insiders believe that the move is largely driven by Adobe's increasing focus on artificial intelligence (AI). The company has already introduced AI-powered editing tools across its apps and rolled out an AI audio tool to add soundtracks and voiceovers to videos.
However, for many users, especially those in the animation community, the impending shutdown of Adobe Animate is a devastating blow. Many creators rely heavily on the app to produce their work, and the thought of having to abandon it is daunting. As one creator put it, "This decision would not only harm countless jobs in the industry but render so much past creations as lost media."
The impact of this move will be felt far beyond Adobe's animation community, with many high-budget television cartoon productions, film and animation studios, game studios big and small, using the app. The loss of a tool that has been an integral part of their workflow will undoubtedly cause significant disruption.
Adobe has stated that users can continue to use Animate until March 1st, 2027, after which point it will be available for download until that deadline. However, this may not provide enough time for many creators to adapt to new software and find alternative workflows.
The discontinuation of Adobe Animate marks the end of an era for many in the animation community, who have relied on the app for decades. As one creator noted, "It's a dark day for animators everywhere."
... I've used Adobe Animate for years and it's literally been my go-to tool for creating animations. The thought of having to switch to something new is kinda terrifying, you know? And what really gets me is that AI-powered tools are the reason why they're shutting it down 
. Like, I get that technology moves fast, but can't we just take our time to adapt to new software instead of suddenly abandoning a tool that's been reliable for so long?
. And what about all those files and projects we've worked on over the years? It's gonna be a nightmare to just lose them all 
.
. And let's not forget about all the animators who are gonna lose their jobs because of this 
... it's a dark day for everyone involved 
.
. This news is gonna spread like wildfire through the animation world, and I'm not sure how we're all gonna recover from this 
.
My kid's always been into drawing and making animations as a hobby, and now they'll have to find a new app to use? 
Like, what even is Adobe gonna do to help them transition? 
It's so sad that all those creators are gonna lose their jobs over this... 
. Can't believe Adobe would do this... 
and people used to do 2D animations with it. Now Adobe is killing off Animate and I'm kinda sad about it 
.
. What's next? Are we gonna see Animate 2.0 or something? 
. I mean, animation is such an art form and Animate has been the go-to app for so many people over the years 
. The thought of all those creators scrambling to find a new software or workflow in just a few short years is, like, totally stressing me out 
. I get it, AI can be super helpful and all, but shouldn't they have been more considerate of the people who've already invested so much time and effort into Animate? 
.
it's not just about Adobe Animate being discontinued, but also the entire workflow and community that comes with it 
like what's next? will these creators have to start from scratch with new software and workflows? 
ai is cool and all but what about all the creators who already learned animate back in the day lol how r they supposed 2 adapt 2 new software now ? i mean its not like theres another app that can do everything animate does 
