EA has very recently confirmed the sale of its company, including The Sims franchise, to Saudi Arabia for a whopping $55 billion.
The confirmation was made by EA via a newsroom post on September 29, 2025, after speculation regarding the potential of the deal began circulating online just a couple of days prior.
This is a huge change for Electronic Arts as a whole, and could result in potential changes to the games within this brand, as well as the direction of games in the future. There’s one thing on the minds of many: what does that mean for fans of EA games? Specifically, we’re taking a look at how this may impact or change the Sims franchise, based on many ongoing discussions currently taking place in the community.
What could the sale of The Sims franchise to Saudi Arabia mean for fans?
After considering many of the points that have been circling community forums and places of discussion regarding all things The Sims, the main topics of concern have been summarised below.
Is The Sims doomed for the future?
The main big question Sims fans are curious about right now is: “What will happen to The Sims?” Or essentially, “Is this the beginning of the end?”
For many, there is a genuine fear that The Sims may be gutted following this sale, with a halt on new content being created and a hike in price for content that already exists.
Furthermore, EA took on $20 billion in debt through this deal. As a result, it is plausible that, sadly, but likely, many layoffs for team members could come next in efforts to cut costs.
However, other opinions state that this may not exactly be the case. While they will likely need to take some form of direction to cut costs, The Sims is also arguably the biggest EA game franchise ever. It would seem strange to make such a deal only to kill off such a big contender for future profits.
Even so, if The Sims doesn’t end up being greatly affected, it is very likely that other titles under EA may face troubles. The Sims also has a very strong sense of community, so killing off the franchise would certainly cause a massive uproar – what would a new owner have to gain from such a situation?
Possibility of AI in the future of The Sims
The investors themselves have also spoken to Financial Times about the potential of implementing AI-based software and resources into the future of EA. Considering the potential of layoffs at hand, this isn’t a great sign either, as AI could arguably be seen as a way to cut labour costs long-term.
Notable mentions include creating backdrops and replacing voice actors, which, in doubt, has raised genuine concern from fans. Many gamers around the world are not in favour of the industry losing human touch on projects, and are rightfully bitter about the possibility of this future.
As a result, if the Sims does follow in this direction, there’s a strong chance that the community would have a significant shift, or even collapse as a whole, losing what has made it so special over the years. While thousands of fans have a deep love for the Sims, many of them would not be afraid to drop the franchise as a whole if things were to take such a turn.
It’s an interesting prospect to consider, and not for good reason.
The Sims censorship concerns
Other concerns involve a degree of censorship under new owners, due to strict control and censorship over media, particularly with LGBT content. There is already a history of this, as The Sims: FreePlay was banned in Saudi Arabia back in 2018, due to “Regional Standards.”
Realistically, the complete removal/censorship of LGBT content would be rather drastic and would cause massive backlash from the community. On top of this, it would completely throw EA’s prior commitments to inclusivity out the window.
What is more likely to occur is partial censorship in some countries/regional variants of the games. This could mean region locking specific content, or even having restricted gallery access in some locations.
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