The Sims’ biggest streamers are quitting over Saudi EA buyout

GamingNews
By:
On:
The Sims’ biggest streamers are quitting over Saudi EA buyout

Some of The Sims’ biggest streamers have quit the game in protest over the $55billion sale of publisher EA.

READ MORE: Creating the “raucous punk” soundtrack of ‘Borderlands 4’

Advertisement

Last month, EA announced that the company would be acquired by a group of investors that includes Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner (CEO of Affinity Partners) and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in a deal thought to be worth more than $50billion.

It’s hoped that the acquisition will be completed in the first half of 2027. However some fans are worried about what this deal means for the future of several beloved franchises such as The Sims and Mass Effect, with same-sex relationships still illegal in Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Hollywood blockbusters have been banned from Saudi cinemas over same-sex kisses. 

Responding to the concerns, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said that their “values” and “commitment to players and fans around the world remain unchanged,” but that hasn’t stopped a number of hugely popular The Sims creators from cutting ties with the game.

Taking to YouTube, streamer and content creator Lilsimsie explained they would be withdrawing from the EA Creator Network, which offers members commission on sales, early access to new releases and paid collabs. “The values represented by the people acquiring EA are fundamentally at odds with what I stand for and support,” she told her 2.1million subscribers in a statement. “This situation is a nightmare for our community. Nobody supports this sale, and it is putting creators in a very difficult position. I’m really, really distraught over this sale and I know that many of you are as well. It’s scary, and it’s breaking my heart.”

Recommended

“This isn’t a decision I’ve made lightly,” said Devon Bumpkin. “As most of you know, I’ve built my career and community around The Sims, a game I truly love and that has brought so many of us together. But with the new ownership and everything that comes with it, I don’t feel comfortable continuing to financially promote the company. This all comes from a place of honesty and alignment with my values.”

“I hope that the sale falls through, and if it doesn’t, I hope that those that stay put pressure on EA to maintain the level of inclusiveness that The Sims has always been about,” said Plumbella 

An email from The Sims team (shared by SweetAshGamer) claims the developers “see the broader conversation happening around EA” and want creators to know that their “mission, values, and commitment to players and fans around the world are not changing” and “The Sims will continue to be a space where you can express your authentic self.”

Advertisement

“Let’s be very clear: if EA sells out to Saudi Arabia’s PIF, The Sims (and every EA game) will be tied to a fund directly controlled by Mohammed Salman. It’s a regime linked to murder, slavery, genocide, the oppression of women, and the execution of LGBTQ+ people,” wrote one X user. “This isn’t ‘just business.’ This is blood money buying into our games.”

In other news, a remastered version of Fallout: New Vegas could be in the works.

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.