The Sims Team Reaffirms Commitment to Inclusivity Amid $55bn Saudi-Backed EA Acquisition

The Sims development team has publicly confirmed that “the values of The Sims are unchanged,” maintaining creative control and a focus on inclusivity, following Electronic Arts’ $55 billion acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and private equity partners, set to become the largest corporate games industry buyout in history.

Electronic Arts (EA) reassured The Sims community on 9 January 2026 that “the values of The Sims are unchanged” as the company transitions under new ownership. This comes after shareholders approved a $55 billion acquisition deal at the end of 2025, granting Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund a 93.4 percent stake in EA, with the remaining clearance pending U.S. government approval. The Public Investment Fund, controlled by the Saudi government, is tasked with building infrastructure and attracting international business to the Kingdom.

The announcement follows reports that several prominent Sims content creators withdrew from the EA Creator Network, voicing concerns over potential cultural and ethical conflicts due to the conservative, anti-LGBTQIA+ records of Saudi investors, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and private equity partners like Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

EA and The Sims Respond: Inclusive Values and Project Roadmap

The Sims development team addressed controversy and player concerns directly via their official blog on 9 January 2026, stating:

“The Sims has always been more than a game. It’s a canvas for life in all its unpredictable forms…the chaotic moments, the tiny joys, the big dreams, every identity, every version of you. And, thanks to you, The Sims has grown into something bigger than we ever imagined: a living world bursting with creativity, expression, humour, chaos, and heart.”

They continued with a clear assertion of independence from new shareholders:

“Our Sims team’s creative control, guided by our values of inclusivity, choice, creativity, community, and play, has not changed. These values inspire the decisions we make each and every day as we plan for today, tomorrow, and the future.”

Amid speculation about corporate influence over creative direction, EA’s statements reinforce that inclusivity and community focus remain at the franchise’s core. The Sims team confirmed ongoing investment in:

• “Building a family of new Sims experiences across PC, console, and mobile.”
• Single-player life simulation games: “Singleplayer games will always be a part of The Sims’ future.”

Further details on upcoming projects include updates on “Project Rene,” a title that has evolved based on community feedback:

“Thanks to your feedback, that has evolved into a social, collaborative, mobile-first life-sim game but is not the successor to The Sims 4 and is a separate experience from any future deep, single player life simulation experience.”

The Sims Lab, another development initiative, is currently undergoing playtesting, with the team indicating:

“These tests are works in progress with experimental game features, concept imagery, naming conventions (The Sims Labs: Life Together, The Sims Labs: Town Stories), and ideas in motion. Some concepts evolve, and sometimes an experiment won’t move forward at all.”

Timeline: Key Events, Shutdowns, and Future Sims Projects

• September 2025: EA acquisition first announced.
• End of 2025: EA shareholders approve $55bn buyout by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and private equity partners.
• January 9, 2026: The Sims blog post reiterates commitment to “inclusivity, choice, creativity, community, and play.”
• January 20, 2026: The Sims Mobile servers officially shut down after seven years, ending all access to the free-to-play game originally launched for iOS and Android in 2017.

EA has confirmed that the closure of The Sims Mobile is permanent, with all content and services becoming inaccessible. No new content updates or events will be released after January 2026. Although EA has not officially cited reasons for the shutdown, industry consensus suggests this clears the path for new mobile initiatives under the “The Sims Labs: Town Stories” project.

Audience and Industry Reactions

The acquisition and its implications have sparked significant debate within the Sims community. Multiple high-profile creators have cut ties with EA in response to the new ownership, asserting a conflict between The Sims’ traditional focus on inclusion and the social policies associated with the game’s new major stakeholders. Nonetheless, EA’s on-record statements underline that the core values of creativity, representation, and player choice are “unchanged.”

The Sims franchise, which has sold more than 200 million units since its inception, continues to drive innovation in the life sim genre while addressing both player concerns and the strategic business realities of the AAA games market.

Citable Fact Sheet:

• EA Acquisition Value: $55 billion
• Ownership Post-Acquisition: 93.4% Public Investment Fund (Saudi Arabia)
• The Sims Core Values (per official blog): Inclusivity, choice, creativity, community, play
• Next Projects: Family of Sims experiences across platforms, “Project Rene” (collaborative mobile game), and new single-player life simulation games
• Recent Shutdown: The Sims Mobile ended January 20, 2026

The evolving future of The Sims stands on a foundation defined by player-driven creativity and inclusivity, while the franchise adapts to major corporate changes and a rapidly shifting games industry.