The Sims 4 Creators Quit EA Affiliate Programs Over Saudi-Led Buyout

Multiple prominent Sims 4 creators have publicly stepped away from EA-affiliated creator programs after EA confirmed a buyout by an investor group that includes Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners in a transaction valued at approximately $55 billion. Reporting characterized the deal as “the largest all-cash sponsor take-private investment in history,” and creators said the sale changed the conditions of their partnerships.

Kayla “lilsimsie” Sims told her 2 million YouTube subscribers she would leave the EA Creator program, saying, “Under this new ownership I feel I cannot maintain a direct association to the company,” and that she would be “slowly shifting her content to other games.” Sims had collaborated with EA in January to release her own content pack, a fact creators cited when explaining why early-access perks now carry political and ethical weight for them.

James Turner announced he would leave the EA Creator Network and asked to remove his creator code, writing, “With the news of the buyout and understanding who will be owning EA in the future, I plan on shifting our focus to include more variety. In addition to that I have decided to leave the EA Creator Network and have asked to remove my creator code.” Turner, known for creating tools and mods and formerly running The Sim Supply, was listed alongside Jesse “Plumbella” McNamara, Vixella, DevonBumpkin, and others who have stepped away.

Jesse “Plumbella” McNamara posted, “Due to the recent sale, I have asked to leave the EA Creator Network, and I will not buy or make content around any future release.” Other creators named in community roundups and video commentary include Lil Simsy, English Shimmer, Karen and Connie, and Iron Seagull, with one YouTube summary noting these are “some of the biggest names in the Sims community. People with millions of combined subscribers. And they left because they didn't want to be associated with what that deal represents.”

Creators emphasized that participation in EA’s programs carries tangible benefits they would lose by leaving: early and free access to Sims packs and affiliate creator codes. A YouTube message reproduced in reporting said, “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,” and added, “This means that I will no longer receive early access to Sims packs, and I will not have a creator code.” The same message concluded, “I'm really, really distraught over this sale... It's scary, and it's breaking my heart.”

The departures have reignited conversations about the Sims Marketplace and official content sales. One report accused EA of “malicious pressure targeting struggling creators” amid a Marketplace launch, and community commentary has framed the buyout as raising concerns about human rights and LGBTQ protections. A Reddit thread headline captured the sentiment: “Some of The Sims 4's biggest content creators have just stepped down from EA's creator network in the wake of the $55B Saudi-backed buyout: 'This situation is a nightmare for our community'.”

Reporting on the fallout also highlights an unresolved detail in the coverage: some sources used different names for EA’s partner programs, referring variously to the EA Creator Network, the EA Creator program, and a “Maker Program,” without a single authoritative mapping between those labels. As the $55 billion transaction moves forward, creators who once worked on official kits such as Plumbella’s Pastel Pop Kit and lilsimsie’s Comfy Gamer Kit say they are distancing themselves, and multiple creators have framed their departures as an attempt to apply pressure that might influence EA leadership’s choices going forward.