Adobe has reversed its earlier decision to discontinue Adobe Animate, confirming the long-running animation software will remain available for new and existing customers with no planned end date.
In a fresh statement, the company said it will not remove access to the software and that users will continue to be able to access their existing content.
“We are not discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate,” Adobe said. “Animate will continue to be available for both current and new customers, and we will ensure you continue to have access to your content. There is no longer a deadline or date by which Animate will no longer be available.”
Adobe said the product has now entered what it calls “maintenance mode,” meaning it will continue to receive security updates and bug fixes, but will no longer receive new features. The status applies across all customer categories, including individual users, small businesses and enterprise clients.
“Maintenance mode means we will continue to support the application and provide ongoing security and bug fixes, but we are no longer adding new features,” Adobe said. “We are committed to ensuring Animate users have access to their content regardless if the state of development changes.”
The clarification marks a reversal from earlier messaging that had indicated Adobe planned to stop selling Animate in March, with access potentially being cut off in the coming years. That guidance has now been withdrawn.
Adobe Animate traces its origins back to 1996, when it was launched as FutureSplash Animator by FutureWave Software. The program later became Macromedia Flash following an acquisition, before Adobe acquired Macromedia in 2005. The software was rebranded as Adobe Flash Professional and later renamed Adobe Animate in 2015 as web standards moved away from Flash technology.
Despite the end of Flash browser support, Animate has continued to be widely used for television animation, web series, educational content, games and independent creative projects.
Earlier reports of a potential shutdown triggered concern among creators and production teams that rely on Animate for ongoing projects. Many users said alternative Adobe tools such as After Effects or Adobe Express do not replicate Animate’s production workflows, and warned that losing access could disrupt existing productions and legacy project files.
Adobe’s latest clarification has eased those concerns. While the software will no longer receive new features, users will continue to have access to Animate and their existing projects on an ongoing basis.
The move comes as Adobe continues to focus on artificial intelligence across its Creative Cloud ecosystem, expanding AI-powered tools and its Firefly generative AI platform, while maintaining support for legacy products still used by large creative communities.
