Electronic Arts (EA) will retire its Origin game distribution app on April 17, 2025, replacing it with a newer app that launched in 2022. The move comes after 14 years of controversy surrounding the original launch in 2011, when EA pulled popular games like Crysis 2 from Steam to promote its own launcher.
From an industry perspective, EA’s decision made sense as it aimed to regain revenue share from Valve, a rival publisher with limited services. However, from a consumer standpoint, the transition was problematic due to low player trust in EA and strong allegiance to Steam.
Origin lacked key features that made Steam popular among gamers, such as social connections and user-friendly tools. Additionally, using the Origin app’s brand name, tied to classic RPGs of the 80s and 90s, felt like a misstep to some users. The new app will likely address these concerns, but its impact on the gaming community remains to be seen.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/01/rip-eas-origin-launcher-we-knew-ye-all-too-well-unfortunately