Adobe is pulling the plug on Adobe Animate. The company announced it will stop selling the animation software on March 1st, citing the emergence of new platforms that better serve user needs. Adobe Animate’s history dates back to 1996, when FutureWave Software launched FutureSplash Animator as a vector graphics application. Macromedia acquired the tool later that year and renamed it Flash. Adobe purchased Macromedia in 2005 and began calling the app Adobe Flash Professional, before rebranding to Adobe Animate in 2015 as the web phased out Flash.
Users have until March 1st, 2027 (or March 1st, 2029 for enterprise customers) to access and download files from Animate. Though Adobe suggests Creative Cloud Pro customers can use other apps like Adobe After Effects or Adobe Express to replace portions of Animate functionality, many users who still rely on Animate are frustrated with its shutdown. Creators behind series like Chikn Nuggit and Salad Fingers continue to use the software for production.
Adobe Animate Shutdown Timeline
30 years of animation software comes to an end as Adobe discontinues its Flash successor
(1996-2026)
Sales End
Support Ends
Enterprise Deadline
Evolution: FutureSplash to Shutdown
Industry Impact Across Sectors
Alternative Animation Software
Adobe has not provided detailed reasoning beyond stating that new platforms better serve user needs. The announcement arrives as Adobe focuses on AI integration across its Creative Cloud suite, including the development of Firefly AI models. Over the past year, Adobe launched AI-powered editing tools and audio features across its applications.
Current Adobe Animate users must download project files before the March 2027 deadline for standard subscriptions or March 2029 for enterprise licenses. The discontinuation affects production pipelines for television studios, game developers, educational institutions, and independent creators who built workflows around the software over three decades. Adobe’s official FAQ provides migration guidance and alternative software recommendations.
Access official discontinuation information and migration resources
