Can't purchase Anthem without EA Play

It's not an EA Play only title in the sense that it's exclusive to EA play. It's only on EA Play because that's technically considered ownership, and since you can only play the game if you own it after the sunsetting announcement, EA Play is the only way for someone who doesn't own the game to play it. I know it's pedantic, but the way your post sounds, it sounds like you're upset that they made it EA Play exclusive for the sake of exclusivity, and that's not whats happening. They're shutting it down in January 2026, so they cannot justify selling the game anymore, and since EA Play technically counts as ownership while you're subscribed, it's the only way you can access it.

Now, if EA wants to do what I suggested in my petition...then they could still sell the game and keep it running but without shouldering the cost of server hosting.