In late September 2025, Electronic Arts (EA) revealed it would be acquired in a $55 billion all‑cash deal by a consortium including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), private equity firm Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, Jared Kushner’s investment firm. Under the deal, EA shares will be bought at $210 each, and EA will become a private company—delisting from public markets. EA’s CEO, Andrew Wilson, is expected to remain in place under the new regime.

Jared Kushner has taken a prominent role: in his public statement, he praised EA’s track record, saying, “I’ve admired their ability to create iconic, lasting experiences, and as someone who grew up playing their games — and now enjoys them with his kids — I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.” (As part of the ownership group, Kushner brings both capital and, for many, a political and symbolic dimension to the move.)

While observers debate the business logic and geopolitical meaning of the acquisition, EA’s passionate communities—especially among The Sims players—reacted immediately online. Their voices reflect concern, anger, moral unease, and a sense of betrayal.

“Oh, they 100% will” — Fears of Layoffs and Cost Cutting

In r/HighSodiumSims, one of the most upvoted posts responding to the acquisition is titled “Oh so it gets worse ☹️…” by user u/⁠Unknown (the thread doesn’t show a full unique flair). The post states:

“People could potentially lose their jobs. … Oh, they 100% will. EA itself is now 20 billion in debt after this deal.”
Reddit

That sentiment—inevitable layoffs and belt‑tightening—is echoed elsewhere. In r/TwoBestFriendsPlay, user u/⁠Unknown (again, the thread displays no custom flair) wrote, “EA has announced it is being acquired … Yay! I can’t wait for them to get even worse!”
Reddit

These comments reflect a cynical expectation: that sooner or later, staff reductions, studio consolidations, or cost cutting are likely once the dust settles.

Identity, Morality, and Disengagement: “Saying goodbye”

A deeply personal post in r/HighSodiumSims by u/⁠Unknown (the user account is preserved) is titled “Saying goodbye.” The author identifies as a queer woman and states:

“As a queer woman, two groups who are heavily oppressed in Saudi Arabia, it doesn’t feel right for me to give money or give support to people who want me dead … this is where my journey with the sims comes to an end.”
Reddit

This post cuts to one of the sharpest tensions: many fans view The Sims not just as a game, but as a space of representation, identity, and belonging. When ownership shifts to entities with documented oppressive practices, consumers perceive a moral dissonance too large to ignore.

Accusations of Silencing and Hypocrisy: “They are silencing all discontent”

In the thread “r/thesims mods are aligned with human rights abusers”, user u/⁠Unknown (again using a default flair) criticizes moderation and perceived complicity:

“They are silencing all discontent re: the recent acquisition of EA by Jared Kushner and Saudi sovereign wealth funds …
‘You already support the Saudis by buying gasoline/plastic’”
Reddit

This post suggests that beyond the acquisition itself, community management (moderation) is a flash point—fans feel that dissent is being curtailed, or that the conversation is being steered to favor apathy or acceptance.

“All the money from the sims now going to Saudi Arabia and Jared Kushner” — Creator & Influencer Reaction

Another voice comes from the more creator‑oriented side of the Sims community. In r/Lilsimsie, user u/Lilsimsie (a known Sims content creator) posted:

“All the money from the sims now going to Saudi Arabia and Jared Kushner seems like… a lot worse.”
Reddit

The comment reflects anxiety among creators about monetization, revenue flow, and who benefits when fans spend on DLCs, packs, and microtransactions.

What It Could Mean — From Business Strategy to Creative Integrity

With these reactions as context, here are some of the possible trajectories — and what might constrain them:

• Increased monetization / microtransactions: The burden of debt (reports suggest ~$20 billion of financing) may push the new owners to squeeze revenue from cosmetics, DLC, and live services faster. Fans fear The Sims could shift further in that direction.

• Cost cuts & consolidation: Studios or teams seen as less profitable may be merged or shuttered. The staff cuts fans expect may begin with support, QA, or smaller creative units.

• AI / procedural content tension: There’s concern that automation or algorithmic content tools could replace human-driven content — both to reduce cost and to scale content output, potentially at the expense of quality, nuance, and community character.

• Cultural and representational risk: Because The Sims has often been at the forefront of queer, inclusive storytelling and diverse representation, fans worry that under ownership with problematic records, those values could be deprioritized or politicized.

• Community trust & backlash cycles: EA will need to tread carefully. Fans are already framing the acquisition as a betrayal. Missteps in monetization or representation will be met with fierce reprisals.

Conclusion: A Fraught Transition Under Watchful Eyes

The acquisition of EA by a consortium including Jared Kushner and Saudi PIF is far more than a financial maneuver. It’s a shift in ownership that carries cultural, moral, and symbolic weight for a community intimately tied to The Sims‘ ethos of personal expression and identity.

From the posts above:

• “Oh, they 100% will [lay off people],”

• “This is where my journey with the sims comes to an end,”

• “They are silencing all discontent,”

• “All the money from the sims now going to Saudi Arabia and Jared Kushner”

These voices show fans grappling with betrayal, fear, division, and moral distance from what The Sims has meant to them.

If EA is to survive this transition with its core fanbase intact, it’ll have to prove it still values community, representation, long-term quality, and ethical consistency over short-term profit. Whether the new owners allow and support that path remains uncertain — but for The Sims community, the stakes are deeply personal.

Would you like me to create a shorter version of this for social media, or a “fan’s guide” to what to watch (red flags, possible positive signals) going forward?

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