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EA, the publisher behind games like Battlefield 6 and The Sims 4, is on many a player's mind right now following the $55 billion deal that's seeing the company go private – and it's safe to say that most people seem very concerned about what it means for their favorite titles.
The Sims community is certainly no exception, especially after EA's past news of there being no plans for a Sims 5 later down the line. This is yet another bump in the road for Simmers, sparking new conversations about the future of the series – even going as far as prompting some of The Sims 4's most beloved players, like Kayla "lilsimsie" Sims, to publicly respond to the deal, which reestablishes EA as a private company.
"EA just announced an agreement to be sold to private investors for $55 billion," writes Sims on YouTube. "This kind of private sale is unprecedented in gaming, and it's a record-breaking deal. They will be acquired by PIF (Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia – the country's sovereign wealth fund), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners (Jared Kushner's private investment firm, Jared Kushner is married to Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump)."
As Sims states, "The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of the 2027 fiscal year." The content creator continues, describing her own reaction to the deal. "This news is extremely scary to me, and it makes me deeply worried about the future of The Sims with EA now being owned by such a conservative group." She then notes, "The Sims has been a very inclusive game for a long time" – and any potential "censoring" frightens her.
Electronic Arts Acquisition Megathread from r/thesims
"Making a change like that would alienate the entire player base of The Sims, and I think it would be an incredibly stupid and shortsighted move from the new investors that would backfire heavily." Such changes aren't Sims' – or the rest of the community's, if I'm honest as a player myself – only concern, though. "This buyout is financed by $20 billion of debt, which they will need to prioritize paying off quickly," as she writes.
"For us, that could mean a push toward even more microtransactions, or budget cuts and tighter deadlines on future content and games (like Project Rene). This could also result in some pretty aggressive cost-cutting, which might mean layoffs at EA. I also have some big concerns about AI, largely about them possibly trying to start using AI to replace artists on EA games." It's a terrifying thought, particularly in the wake of other layoffs at EA.
Earlier this year, the company reportedly let go of "between 300 and 400" people after axing its Titanfall extraction shooter – but that's not all. There were also the BioWare layoffs that came after Dragon Age: The Veilguard supposedly "did not resonate with a broad enough audience," as EA put it. Sims isn't the only worried fan, either. A megathread on Reddit on the $55 billion acquisition proves as much, with Simmers sharing their fears.
Some comment The Sims 4 may "finally die," others accept defeat: "Well, I'm just saying my goodbyes to the Sims franchise. Thank you all for the past 20 years. You've been great." Here's hoping the future isn't so dark – I know I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.
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