The backlash was swift and loud, causing Adobe to reverse course on a plan to discontinue its widely used Adobe Animate software next year. 

The techco announced suddenly on Monday that it was scrapping the tool, which is common in schools and indie studios, and also favored among older animators who have used it since it was known as Flash. The surprise move was widely seen as part of a pivot at Adobe to focus on generative AI, but the animation industry just wasn’t having it

Social media was flooded with posts from angry animators calling for Adobe to not scrap a tool they rely on, affecting current productions. 

Adobe has shared some brief details about its change of position in an update, in which it promised to keep Animate available indefinitely for both new and current customers. It’ll remain in “maintenance” mode, the company says, getting ongoing security and bug fixes, but no new features. 

Original story below:

Adobe is abandoning its 30-year-old animation tool Adobe Animate (formerly known as Flash)—which is still taught in schools and used in production pipelines—and the industry is reeling from this impending loss.

Adobe sent an email to Animate customers yesterday alerting them about the change. Users will lose access to their Animate files and project data on March 1, 2027, so they’ll have to export everything before the discontinuation happens.

Schools around the world teach the software as an industry standard, and X and LinkedIn are riddled with angry posts from students. But independent producers and 2D character animators who started in Flash and have used the tool for years are also mourning its loss.

Tom Baker, co-founder and creative director of Kong Animation Studio in London (Quentin Blake’s Box of Treasures, Clam Brain), cites Gumball, Skatoony and Ben 10 as examples of series that relied heavily on Animate. And he’s using the software now on a project that’s scheduled for delivery in April.

Baker took to LinkedIn in search of alternatives, and some of the tools that have been recommended include Blender (free), Clip Studio Paint (popular among indie artists), Procreate Dreams (inexpensive 2D animation), Moho (Cartoon Saloon has used it on many projects) and Toon Boom (high quality, but expensive). He’s planning to look into Moho’s frame-by-frame animation tools as a first step towards finding a replacement.

One small upside is that this change isn’t coming right away. Enterprise customers can still access technical support until March 1, 2029, and all other customers will have support until the March 1, 2027 cut-off. But the software is only available to download until March 1, 2026.

Adobe made the decision to drop Animate as it increasingly focuses on integrating AI into animation. In March 2023, the company launched its Adobe Firefly tool, which generates images, video, audio and vector graphics. (Firefly has picked up a little steam since, with Mattel using it to design packaging concepts for Barbie releases.)

Unsurprisingly, Adobe suggests animators use other tools in its suite, like Adobe After Effects (a visual effects and keyframe animation tool) and Adobe Express Premium (a simple video and graphics maker).

A Change.org petition trying to save Animate already has more than 600 signatures, and there are many comments on the page from animators who say they rely on the software for their work.

Pictured is the Adobe Animate logo.