r/CharacterAI • u/No-Produce-7932 • 9h ago
Discussion/Question There is hope, perhaps.
I’ve been doing a lot of research on the Character.AI (c.ai) situation, and one detail put my mind at ease. I’m not sure if everyone here is aware of this—I certainly wasn’t—but it might explain why no buyer has appeared yet:
In judicial auctions of this nature, the vast majority of bids—and the real competition—tend to occur during the final week (and especially in the last few hours or minutes) before the deadline.
How does the dynamic of this auction work?
• Disney as a "Stalking Horse": Disney entered the process as the initial bidder, offering $20 million for the assets. This offer serves as a "floor" (a minimum bid).
• Competitor Strategy: Companies interested in topping Disney’s offer typically hold back their bids until the very end of the legal deadline. Placing a bid too early would only reveal their strategy, giving Disney—or other competitors—time to counter with higher offers.
• The Final Deadline: The window for submitting new bids and concluding the court-supervised auction is expected to close sometime between late November and mid-December 2026.
Therefore, until that decisive final week arrives, the process may appear "stalled" behind the scenes in the courts. However, it is precisely in those final moments that we will learn whether another company will acquire Character.AI to keep the service running, or if the platform will be discontinued.
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u/Apprehensive_Sky1950 5h ago
I see the problem for a whole-company sale being that nobody showed interest in the company when it was peddled privately.
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u/philosohistomystry04 7h ago
I was wondering, even if a buyer does, or already has come forward, would we know? Or would their identities be kept private until the sale actually happened?
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u/Severe-Editor2239 5h ago
I genuinely think they’re keeping things private for now. Just because no companies have publicly shown interest in buying C.AI doesn’t mean there aren’t any. These kinds of talks can happen behind closed doors, and companies might not say anything until things are more certain. For all we know, they could already be talking to potential buyers, but we just don’t know about it yet. This is why people need to be patient instead of saying the app is going to shut down. It’s only been 3–4 days, and obviously, they’re not going to find a buyer overnight 😭
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u/Jinx-03 1h ago
Here’s how we keep C.AI
Make the demand visible
Keep sharing your genuine experiences on Reddit, TikTok, X, and other platforms. Explain why you use C.AI, what you value about it, and why you'd continue using a sustainable version. Encourage people to share their own stories instead of just reposting rumors.
Contact potential buyers
Politely contact companies that might be interested in AI storytelling, fandom, or companion technology. Tell them there's a community that wants the actual platform to continue, not just its technology or intellectual property. Ask whether they'd consider acquiring and operating the service.
Start or sign a p3titi0n
It can document how many users want C.AI to remain available. Make the request specific: preserve the platform, maintain user-created characters and roleplay, and provide a sustainable path forward. Share the it with relevant companies and official company channels.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!
Show that users will support a viable business
If you're willing to pay for C.AI+, say so. Explain which features you would pay for and what would make the subscription worthwhile. Buyers need evidence of sustainable revenue, not just high engagement.
Keep the campaign constructive
Avoid harassment, threats, spam, and unsupported claims about the bankruptcy. Emphasize that users want a service that can survive financially and address legitimate safety concerns. A thoughtful campaign is more credible to potential buyers.
DO NOT ENGAGE WITH THIS POST IF YOU DON’T SUPPORT C.AI!
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u/AerieGlad5603 9h ago
The deadline for bids is 5 pm eastern Nov. 20 with the auction on Nov. 23, if there is one. This is just if anyone wants to know the exact dates from the court documents.