The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has announced the shutdown of AnimePlay, a major illegal anime streaming platform that had more than 5 million users worldwide.
ACE is backed by over 50 major television networks and film studios, including Disney, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, Netflix, and Universal Pictures. The coalition focuses on tackling online piracy through legal action, criminal referrals, and enforcement operations.
Over the past few years, ACE has taken down several large piracy networks in collaboration with law enforcement agencies. One of its most recent actions was in November 2025, when it shut down Photocall, a large illegal TV streaming platform that attracted more than 26 million users annually.
In its latest operation, ACE targeted AnimePlay, which hosted more than 60 terabytes of anime content, including TV shows and movies. The platform had gained significant popularity, especially in Indonesia, where most of its users were based.
ACE successfully took control of the AnimePlay app and dismantled the entire operation. This included shutting down hosting servers, web domains, and other key infrastructure linked to the service.
According to ACE, the organization secured control not only of the application but also its full backend system. This included 15 associated domains, the platform’s source code, hosting environment, and other digital assets, all of which have now been taken offline. This move effectively prevents the operators from rebuilding or relaunching the service.
The developer and administrator behind AnimePlay also handed over access to the platform’s backend ecosystem. This included servers, databases, advertising tools, and 29 GitHub repositories containing the full source code of the platform.
Larissa Knapp, Chief Content Protection Officer and Executive Vice President at the Motion Picture Association, said ACE will continue its efforts to combat piracy. She emphasized that the organization is working with partners across the Asia Pacific region and globally to dismantle illegal operations and protect the creative industry.
If this article helped you, please consider supporting our work. Every small contribution keeps Abijita.com independent and running.
The shutdown of AnimePlay marks another significant step in ACE’s ongoing fight against digital piracy and highlights the growing global effort to protect copyrighted content online.
