On September 29th, Electronic Arts announced it had been acquired as part of a $55 billion buyout by several investors. The company is set to go private, with Silver Lake, Affinity Partners, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund taking 100% ownership. The buyout is one of the largest of its kind in history.
The sale was an unexpected and broadly unpopular decision among the community. Specifically, many community members have raised concerns about the values held by EA’s new investors. To paint you a picture as to why that is: Affinity Partners is an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner. Kushner is Donald Trump’s son-in-law and his former senior advisor.
The concerns don’t begin and end with Affinity Partners’ involvement in the deal, either. Many are concerned by the involvement of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund due to significant human rights concerns. Back in 2024, a Human Rights Watch report shared that the wealth fund had “facilitated and benefited from human rights abuses.”
Maxis, the primary developers behind the Sims franchise, was bought by EA back in 1997. It now operates as a division of the company. As a result, The Sims 4 is directly in the crosshairs of the buyout, alongside other EA franchises like FIFA, Dragon Age, and Skate.
As a result, news of the sale has been met with substantial backlash. Most recently, this has included several significant content creators leaving the EA Creator Network and pledging to focus on other franchises instead. In other areas, politicians and EA workers alike have raised concerns.
Several YouTubers and Twitch streamers are stepping back from The Sims 4 due to the buyout
Over the past couple of days, several streamers and YouTubers have announced their departure from the EA Creator Network due to the buyout. Some have specified that they will no longer platform new EA releases, while others plan to continue covering The Sims 4 until the sale’s completion.
A long list of names have spoken out on the matter, voicing concerns about EA’s investors, and the possible future direction The Sims could take. A few creators who have shared their plans in response to the sale include LilSimsie, James Turner, CarynandConnieGaming, Plumbella, Steph0Sims, Devon Bumpkin, and Vixella, among others.
The EA Creator Network offers creatives the chance to create early access content for new DLC. It also provides creators with codes, which redirects a fraction of the profit from DLC sales to its associated creator. Creators stepping away from the network means they won’t directly profit from any sales made using the code, nor receive early access to any new content.
Of course, it isn’t just creators who benefit from being in the Network. EA benefits from creators being in the network, too. Streamers and YouTubers producing content around a new release effectively act as an advertisement, or in some cases, an endorsement. In turn, audiences may buy the game themselves, resulting in even higher profits for EA.
Lilsimsie shares as much in one of her recent public statements:
“I have made the decision to remove myself from the EA Creator Network. It is my hope that pressure from creators and the community might encourage EA’s leadership to reconsider the long-term impact of this sale and to preserve the values that have made The Sims so beloved. This means that I will no longer receive early access to Sims packs, and I will not have a creator code. Under this new ownership I feel I cannot maintain a direct association to the company. I also truly believe that they benefit more from my early access content than I do, and I think that stepping away is the strongest action I can take against the sale.”
Stepping away from the network – and specifying why while doing so – sends a strong, clear, public message to EA. The community isn’t happy with the sale, and will take their support elsewhere if nothing changes. In fact, several creators have even shared their excitement and anticipation to move on to Paralives in the coming months.
The Sims Team shared a press release in an attempt to curb fears over the investment
On October 22nd, content creator SweetAshGamer shared a press release, stated to be from The Sims Team, acknowledging the buyout:
Presumably, this is in response to community backlash and journalistic reporting around the sale. Although it seems comforting to hear that the team themselves are “committed” to their mission and values, it of course remains to be seen how this plays out in actuality. It’s impossible to know how much (or little) power the team may have over some issues.
More recently, on October 24th, a similar sentiment was reiterated on The Sims’ own social media:
The post reads like a trimmed-down (and more evergreen) version of the initial press release. It notes once again that the Team’s commitment stays the same, and mentions that more details will be coming on October 27th. It’s unclear what this will include, thanks to a vague nod to “the things that matter most to you”.
One can only hope that the “things that matter most” doesn’t just mean a game update.
While the timing of this post suggests that it’s in relation to the sale – and more specifically, the massive community response to it – the content of the post doesn’t actually acknowledge any concerns in any explicit way. This doesn’t exactly instil confidence.
The Sims Team also recently hosted a livestream raising money for an LGBTQIA+ charity
On October 21st, The Sims announced that a charity fundraiser stream in collaboration with It Gets Better, an LGBTQ+ charity, would be hosted on Twitch the following day.
Historically, this wouldn’t be surprising for The Sims. Despite being (extremely) far from perfect, the dollhouse simulator has a rich queer history and a long list of LGBTQIA+ inclusive additions over the years.
However, considering recent events, it’s challenging to take this at face value. Some of the concerns raised regarding EA’s new investors relate to LGBTQIA+ rights, after all.
And for understandable reasons. As highlighted by Laura Kate Dale for Slate, users are concerned about Jared Kushner’s “proximity” to the Republican Party, and more specifically, Donald Trump. Considering recent attacks on LGBTQIA+ rights, these concerns make sense. At the time of writing, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is tracking 616 anti-LGBTQ bills across the United States alone.
Similar concerns stand regarding the involvement of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. It’s the sovereign wealth fund of the country, meaning it’s owned by the state. It was established back in 1971 with the express purpose of investing on behalf of Saudi Arabia’s government. What’s more is that its de facto ruler is the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman.
The fund’s close connection to Saudi Arabia’s government raises concerns due to LGBTQIA+ rights in the country. Per the Human Dignity Trust, an international organisation that sets out to protect LGBT rights, Saudi Arabia criminalises LGBT people in several ways, including via sexual intimacy and gender expression.
What kind of statement does the stream really make?
Hosting a stream in support of LGBTQIA+ rights in the face of recent events could be one of several things. On one hand, it could be a nod as if to say: I see you. We’re with you. Some EA employees have even made anonymous statements expressing anguish about the impact of the sale on LGBTQ individuals.
On the other hand, it could be reputation management. Considering ongoing community discussions regarding queer rights, it’s entirely possible. Without a clear message, it’s impossible to draw a precise meaning. That’s not to say that this is the case, but it’s a possibility.
Right now, all we can do is speculate on the meaning. But, asking LGBTQIA+ individuals to put trust in a major corporation – particularly one that could soon be in the proverbial pockets of these investors – feels like a terribly large ask.
Words are a small comfort when other big changes are already underway
Another issue raised regarding the buyout relates to Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in game development. It was shared in the Financial Times that the company handover could lead to AI-based software and resources becoming a larger part of EA’s future.
Despite the fact that the sale hasn’t gone through yet – and so EA doesn’t have any new owners right now – the company has just shared their plans to use AI in some aspects of game development.
On October 23rd, EA and Stability AI announced their partnership via multiple press releases. Together, they plan to implement generative AI into an unclear number of areas, such as creating textures and 3D environments.
The press release predominantly discusses the collaboration in terms of EA Sports – so, not The Sims. That means that as of yet, we don’t know what this partnership could mean for The Sims 4, if anything.
The press release comes to a close with the phrase “The future of creativity at EA is brighter than ever.”
I’m not so sure I could agree.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that EA are haemorrhaging money from their current misfires over using AI. This is thanks to the amount of time workers need to spend fixing hallucinations and other failures caused by their own generative chatbot tool, ReefGPT.
Some content creators, such as Vixella, have cited AI use as one of the specific reasons for withdrawing from EA’s Creator Network.
All isn’t well internally, either
Of course, EA’s sale doesn’t only affect consumers. It affects all EA employees, too.
The “Make EA Better for Workers and Gamers – Not Billionaires” petition was shared via Action Network in the wake of the recent sale. It’s targeting the United States Federal Trade Commission.
The petition is shared by EA workers, citing concerns about the company’s future. It implores the Federal Trade Commission to scrutinise the sale thoroughly, with protecting jobs and creative freedom in mind. It also wishes to ensure that “decision-making [is kept] accountable to the workers who make EA successful”.
The petition is open for anyone who works at EA, another video game company, or those who play EA games to sign.
Even politicians are concerned about the buyout
Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal, two US politicians, shared a letter with the United States Secretary of the Treasury raising concerns over the EA deal. Specifically, they are concerned about possible “national security risks.”
The letter raises worries about data privacy, considering the sheer volume of user data EA will have collected over the years. Another issue raised is that the deal would negatively impact transparency throughout the company – an issue similar to those raised by the Action Network petition. It also addressed concerns around the involvement of the Saudi Arabia government in the deal.
The letter wasn’t, however, only about concerns with the deal – it was also about creating actionable suggestions. The letter requested that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States investigate EA’s shift towards private company status. It also requested that the review’s findings be reported upon by November 4th 2025.
Is the sale final?
No, the sale isn’t final yet. There’s even a slim chance it could fall through, whether for regulatory reasons or otherwise.
According to CNBC, there is a 45-day window in which other proposals can be made. It doesn’t look overwhelmingly hopeful, though, as the deal is “all but certain to close.”
Per USA Today News, the sale is due to be finalised in the 2027 fiscal year – which in practicality, begins in September 2026.
