After Backlash, Adobe Cancels Adobe Animate Shutdown And Puts App On ‘maintenance Mode’

After customer backlash, Adobe said it won’t afloat discontinue Adobe Animate, arsenic planned. The institution this week announced it would unopen down its 2D animation software, Adobe Animate, amid an accrued focus on its investments successful AI.

On Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, nan institution issued an update to nan company’s support tract and sent emails to existing customers announcing that Adobe Animate will beryllium discontinued connected March 1, 2026.

Enterprise customers could proceed to person method support done March 1, 2029, to easiness nan transition, nan institution said astatine nan time. Other customers would person support done March of adjacent year.

The determination was met with incredulity, disappointment, and anger among Adobe Animate users, who are concerned astir nan deficiency of alternatives that reflector Animate’s functionality.

As a result, Adobe changed its tune connected Wednesday, saying location would nary longer beryllium a “deadline aliases day by which Animate will nary longer beryllium available.”

“We are not discontinuing aliases removing entree to Adobe Animate. Animate will proceed to beryllium disposable for some existent and caller customers, and we will guarantee you proceed to person entree to your content,” an announcement published connected Feb. 4, 2026, stated.

“Adobe Animate is successful attraction mode for each customers. This applies to individual, mini business, and endeavor customers.  Maintenance mode intends we will proceed to support nan exertion and supply ongoing information and bug fixes, but we are nary longer adding caller features. Animate will proceed to beryllium disposable for some caller and existing users - we will not beryllium discontinuing aliases removing entree to Adobe Animate,” it said.

One customer, posting connected X, had pleaded pinch Adobe to astatine slightest unfastened root nan package alternatively than wantonness it. Commenters connected nan thread responded pinch angst, saying things like “this is legit gonna ruin my life,” and “literally what nan hellhole are they doing? animate is nan logic a bully chunk of adobe users moreover subscribe successful nan first place.

Adobe explained its determination to discontinue nan programme successful an FAQ, saying, “Animate has been a merchandise that has existed for complete 25 years and has served its intent good for creating, nurturing, and processing nan animation ecosystem. As technologies evolve, caller platforms and paradigms look that amended service nan needs of nan users. Acknowledging this change, we are readying to discontinue supporting Animate.”

Reading betwixt nan lines, it seemed arsenic if Adobe was saying that Animate nary longer represents nan existent guidance of nan company, which is now much focused connected products that incorporated AI technologies.

What’s astonishing is that Adobe couldn’t moreover urge package that would afloat switch what customers are losing pinch Animate. Instead, it said customers pinch a Creative Cloud Pro scheme tin usage different Adobe apps to “replace portions of Animate functionality.”

For instance, it suggested that Adobe After Effects tin support analyzable keyframe animation utilizing nan Puppet tool, and Adobe Express tin beryllium utilized for animation effects that tin beryllium applied to photos, videos, text, shapes, and different creation elements.

There were hints that Adobe was headed successful this guidance aft Animate was ignored astatine nan company’s yearly Adobe Max conference. Plus, nary 2025 type of nan package was released.

Before switching to “maintenance mode,” Abode had intended only for nan package to proceed to activity for those who person it downloaded. Typically, Adobe charged $34.49 per period for nan software, which dropped to $22.99 pinch a 12-month commitment. The yearly prepaid scheme was disposable for $263.88. Now, nan institution says it will beryllium disposable to caller users, arsenic well.

Some users person been recommending different animation programs to usage arsenic a replacement, including Moho Animation and Toon Boom Harmony.

Updated, Feb. 4, 2026, to statement that Adobe reversed its determination and announced nan package would beryllium placed successful attraction mode alternatively of discontinued.