Adobe is putting its plan to discontinue Adobe Animate on hold after facing intense backlash from customers after the corporate announced it could discontinue the 2D animation software and increase its concentrate on its investments in AI.
“We are neither discontinuing nor removing access to Adobe Animate. Animate will proceed to be available to each existing and latest customers, and we are going to make sure you proceed to have access to your content,” the corporate said wrote in a post on Wednesday.
On Monday, Adobe announced that it was discontinuing Animate met with Disbelief, disappointment and anger, and users expressed concerns in regards to the lack of alternatives that mirror Animate's functionality.
The company modified its mind on Wednesday, saying there’ll not be a “deadline or date by which Animate will not be available.”
“Adobe Animate is in maintenance mode for all customers. This applies to individual, small business and enterprise customers. Maintenance mode means we are going to proceed to support the applying and supply ongoing security and bug fixes, but will not add latest features. Animate will proceed to be available to each latest and existing users – we won’t discontinue or remove access to Adobe Animate,” it said.
A customer, Post on Xhad asked Adobe to at the very least release the software as open source as an alternative of abandoning it. Commenters on the thread reacted with fear and said things How“This is real and can wreck my life.” And“What the hell are they doing, literally? Animate is the explanation a big portion of Adobe users subscribe in the primary place.”
On Monday, the corporate updated its support website and sent emails to existing customers announcing the discontinuation of Adobe Animate on March 1, 2026. Enterprise customers would proceed to receive technical support through March 1, 2029 to ease the transition, the corporate said on the time. Other customers would have support until March next yr.
Adobe explained its decision to discontinue this system in a single FAQand said: “Animate is a product that has existed for over 25 years and has served its purpose well in creating, maintaining and developing the animation ecosystem. As technologies evolve, latest platforms and paradigms emerge that higher serve the needs of users. In recognition of this variation, we plan to stop supporting Animate.”
Reading between the lines, it seems as if Adobe is saying that Animate not reflects the corporate's current direction, which is now more focused on products that integrate AI technologies.
What's surprising is that Adobe couldn't even recommend software that will completely replace what customers are losing with Animate. Instead, it says that customers with a Creative Cloud Pro plan can use other Adobe apps to “replace portions of Animate functionality.”
For example, it has been suggested that Adobe After Effects can support complex keyframe animations using the Puppet tool, and Adobe Express will be used for animation effects that will be applied to photos, videos, text, shapes, and other design elements.
There were hints that Adobe was heading on this direction when Animate wasn't mentioned at the corporate's annual Adobe Max conference. Additionally, a 2025 version of the software has not been released.
Before entering “maintenance mode,” Abode had intended the software to proceed working for many who downloaded it. Adobe normally charged $34.49 per thirty days for the software, but with a 12-month contract, that quantity dropped to $22.99. The annual prepaid plan was available for $263.88. Now the corporate is announcing that it should even be available to latest users.
Some users have really helpful other animation programs as replacements, including Moho animation And Toon Boom Harmony.
