EA's Origin App is shutting down and an arguably worse alternative has taken its place

Electronic Arts has officially discontinued the Origin store and launcher, and will now require users to make the transition to the EA app.

EA's Origin App is shutting down and an arguably worse alternative has taken its place
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TL;DR: EA will shut down the Origin app on April 17, 2025, due to Microsoft's end of support for 32-bit software on Windows 11. Origin, launched in 2011, faced criticism for mandatory use and exclusivity. Users will transition to the EA app, which also faces negative feedback for technical issues.

Independent video game launchers have become the bane of many gamers' existence, dating back from the infamous Games with Windows to the current-day Rockstar Games Social Club.

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There will be one less headache for those parties in question - as EA has announced that the Origin App will be officially shutting down as of April 17th, 2025. The move is driven by Microsoft ending support for 32-bit software on Windows 11, as users will be transitioned into the newer, fully supported EA app.

The Origin app was originally released in June of 2011 and caused many Battlefield: Bad Company 2 players complained of unresponsive controls, login issues, and needless additional steps to launch into their games. It also became mandatory to purchase major EA titles through the platform. Releases such as Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3, and Dragon Age: Inquisition were excluded from Steam - and packaged through EA Origin as 'Origin Exclusives'.

EA and Valve would eventually come to an agreement in 2019 for subsequent titles to be released on the Steam platform. The transition from Origin to the EA App would commence a year later, in 2020.

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As we bid farewell to the notorious Origin app, it's important to note that the new EA app is just as poorly received. Many users cite login issues, stalled downloads, and a broken overlay as pain points. So rest assured-while digital distribution platforms come and go, EA's legacy of delivering bloated, unintuitive launchers remains the same.