Match Group Prepares To Shut Down Gay Dating App Archer

Match Group is shutting down Archer, the gay, bi, and queer men’s dating app it launched in June 2023. The decision was announced by Michael Kaye, Archer’s director of brand marketing and communications. The app will officially cease operations on June 17, 2026, less than three years after its debut.

Archer was positioned as a more intentional alternative to hookup-focused platforms, emphasizing meaningful connections rather than casual encounters. It achieved over 685,000 downloads within its first year. However, it struggled to compete with established players like Grindr, which recorded around 10 million downloads in a comparable period. Other competitors in the space include Scruff, Jack’d, and Sniffies.

The closure follows Match Group’s recent $100 million investment in Sniffies, a location-based hookup platform. Kaye stated that the company is looking forward to partnering with Sniffies to continue supporting queer connections, essentially making that the primary queer app under the Match Group umbrella, at least for this specific audience.

The shutdown highlights ongoing challenges in the LGBTQ+ dating app market. While demand exists, competition is fierce, and many apps struggle to build sustainable user bases and distinct identities. Grindr remains the dominant platform, though users have raised complaints about its interface, paywalls, and technical issues. Understandably, Match Group seem to want to consoldate around a handful of platforms in different niches, rather than maintaining multiple competing products.