Sims streamers are distancing themselves from EA, but the choice is difficult for some

Sims 4 Society is in turmoil. Its biggest stars are distancing themselves from the game with the support of millions of subscribers. Then there are the creatives in the middle: those big enough to be known, but not big enough to be isolated. They face a difficult choice of whether or not to continue playing the game they love and, in some cases, depend on.

last month, Sims“Publisher EA It announced that it would be acquired for $55 billion By a group of investors including Saudi Arabia’s private investment fund, Affinity Partners, an investment firm founded by President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The news sent shock waves throughout Sims community. Players have expressed concern that the new owners of the company will use their positions to influence future content. Sims Its community has long been celebrated for its inclusivity. It’s a strange game Played and loved by gay people. That it could soon be partly owned by A very conservative and anti-LGBT government Push the creators of the most famous game to act.

One of the biggest responders was Kayla “LilSimsie” Sims She announced that she is leaving the EA Creator Program To 2 million subscribers on YouTube. Network members get special perks like free early access to content packs to show to their followers, along with affiliate codes that will potentially net them a percentage of sales. In January, It even collaborated with EA To release its own content pack, allowing players to purchase items it created to use in their own game. But now she said she will slowly shift her content to other games. “Under this new ownership, I feel I cannot maintain a direct affiliation with the company,” she said in her announcement.

She wasn’t alone. Apparently, at one time, the life simulation game’s biggest creators — including James Turner and Jesse “Blambella” McNamara — All announced that they would be leaving EA’s Creator Program They distance themselves from the game that made them famous.

Choosing to give up on a beloved game is never a simple matter, especially when money and the future of their career are on the line. But the game’s biggest creators admitted that the choice to abandon the game was easier for them than most. “I believe taking this stance is the right choice for me,” McNamara wrote in her statement. “I’m in a privileged position to be able to say I’m leaving easily.”

For others, it’s much harder, because deciding to step down means potentially damaging a content creation career that’s just starting out. “(Sims“It’s taken me places I never thought it would,” said one creator who requested anonymity because their current affiliation with the EA Creator Program doesn’t allow them to speak negatively about the company. “I have a quite diverse community, a lot of BIPOC people, LGBTQ people in my community,” they said.

It was these members’ anxiety that ultimately led them to decide to leave the network and slowly transition out of it the Sims. “(The Sims) is a game where a lot of marginalized people have freedom of representation,” they said. They talked about how EA buyers’ conservative and anti-LGBT values ​​and policies were at odds with the spirit of the game. “I did not feel comfortable outwardly promoting content from a game that was potentially owned by those entities.” Although the creator is not fully supporting himself in his streaming career, he acknowledged that choosing to step down could hurt his upward trajectory. “Most of my viewers come to my platform to watch me play Sims“I imagine I might lose some of that viewing,” they said.

On Twitch and elsewhere, viewership is key to growth and success. Creators with larger audiences are better insulated from viewer attrition. But for mid-tier creators, any interruption, whether it’s a change in streaming schedule or content, can dramatically impact the number of people who show up to watch. For this reason, there are many Sims Content creators — even those with acquisition issues — are coming up with creative ways to express their discontent without jeopardizing their channel.

Some creators do not leave the program, but decide to abstain from its benefits. “They are not promoting any EA content for the foreseeable future. They will not be reviewing any packs or getting any early access. They will not be hosting giveaways,” said the Twitch streamer who left the program.

Rene is Sims A content creator who has been playing the game for over 20 years and has been a part-time creator on TikTok and YouTube for the past five. “Sims “It’s always been a happy place for me,” she said. When news of the acquisition arrived, she said she was anxious, and was pleased to see the top creatives make their decision to leave. “These are the biggest names in Sims “The community, those are the people who have the most influence when it comes to the actual game,” she said.

But she’s not personally ready to take that kind of stance, choosing to stay with the Creators Program and adopt a wait-and-see approach. “My thought process was, ‘This deal isn’t done yet,'” Rene said. She holds out hope that outside pressure will come out Sims Society and two US Senators who have He called for an investigation into the dealThis may lead to his downfall. “If I leave EA Creator Network, and this doesn’t go through (…) I’m not at that point in my life Sims “The job is to be able to regain access to something like this,” Rene said. “I know there are a lot of people who would disagree with that, and that’s fine. I completely understand that point of view.”

But if the deal goes through, she will say she will withdraw.

The choice of streamers to leave or stay with the EA Creator Program has resulted in a break Sims community. Following the departure of prominent creators, EA has since issued two statements in an attempt to allay fears and speculation. “Our mission, values ​​and commitment remain the same,” EA said He said in a post on X It was performed immediately after discharge. “Sims It will always be a space where you can express your authentic self. The file has also been updated Frequently asked questions for employees It says: “EA will maintain creative control and our track record of creative freedom and player-first values ​​will remain intact.”

These reassurances are little comfort to some, and all the creators I spoke to expressed deep pain at what is happening and fear for the future of the game they love. A streamer who is in the process of leaving EA Creator Network knows that once the breakup is complete, they will likely never be allowed back. They have come to terms with that.

“I always want to do my best to maintain my integrity and ethics, and I feel that this acquisition and what could come not only for the game, but for the company as a whole goes against that,” they said. “That outweighs any opportunities I might miss.”