Adobe has decided to discontinue Adobe Animate . The company says it will stop selling the animation software on March 1, citing the emergence of new platforms that ' better serve the needs of users .'
Existing users will have until March 1, 2027 (or March 1, 2029 for enterprise customers) to access and download files from Animate. The app will be available for download until then, and Adobe will continue to provide support during that time.
See also: Adobe Firefly offers unlimited image and video creations
Adobe Animate
The history of Adobe Animate dates back to 1996, when FutureWave Software released a graphics application , originally known as FutureSplash Animator. It was a tool for creating vector-based animations. Although Macromedia acquired the tool later that year and renamed it Flash, Adobe bought the company in 2005 and began calling the application Adobe Flash Professional.
In 2015, Adobe rebranded the app and renamed it Adobe Animate as the web began to move away from Flash. Although Adobe says that Creative Cloud Pro can use other apps to 'replace parts of Animate's functionality', such as Adobe After Effects or Adobe Express, many users who still use Animate are disappointed with its impending discontinuation.
The creators of the animated short series, Chikn Nuggit, write in a post on X that they are still using Adobe Animate to create the show. "This decision will not only hurt countless jobs in the industry, but will also impact many older creations," the post states.
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David Firth, creator of Salad Fingers, also says he still uses the app for the series.
Megacharlie , technical artist for Jackbox Games , adds that the app is ' used in many high-budget animated TV productions, film and animation studios, game studios, not to mention the thousands of independent creators who still use it every day .'
However, Adobe has made its decision. The company often makes such changes to focus on new technologies. Over the past year, Adobe has made it clear that it is focused on artificial intelligence.
See also: Adobe Develops IP-Secure Generative AI Models for Entertainment
The company has released a number of AI editing tools in its apps and has introduced an AI-powered audio tool for adding audio tracks and vocals to videos. It is also working on its own Firefly AI, which are copyright-safe, for the entertainment industry.
