Speaking at this week's Develop conference, Maxis senior character artist Jess Hyland addressed community fears about The Sims' future under new ownership, saying she would "fight tooth and nail" against any attempt to roll back the game's long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion.
What Hyland said
Hyland was asked directly whether the pending Saudi-backed acquisition of EA could lead to a mandate reducing diversity in The Sims or restricting support for LGBTQIA+ players.
"I can't talk about the acquisition specifically," Hyland said. "I will say that I don't feel like I've ever had a mandate from on high about what we're making, in terms of 'that's too diverse', and I don't think we will. I mean, fingers crossed, but I haven't heard anything coming down the pipe. I don't think it's gonna happen and I would fight it tooth and nail."
It's worth stressing that Hyland was speaking as an individual team member, not on behalf of EA or Maxis. But her comments give a rare window into how the people making The Sims view the situation internally.
The buyout and why players are concerned
Last September, EA accepted a $56 billion buyout offer from a consortium that includes Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners. The deal would load $20 billion in debt onto EA and its studios.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has not yet formally approved the acquisition, though reports suggest approval could come in the coming months.
The buyout announcement prompted several prominent Sims creators to leave the EA Creator Network. EA responded with a statement at the time: "Our mission, values, and commitment remain the same. The Sims will always be a space where you can express your authentic self."
Since then, EA made an unknown number of job cuts last month across recruitment, IT, customer support, and trust and safety, fueling further anxiety among workers and fans.
The Sims' track record on inclusion
The concern isn't abstract. Since 2000, The Sims has steadily expanded the options available to players for building characters of various genders, sexualities, ethnicities, and disabilities. During her talk, Hyland showed how the team worked over 12 years to expand character creator options, including a significant overhaul that removed gendered clothing restrictions to better support trans characters.
Former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah has publicly argued that studios with progressive track records would be hardest for new owners to pivot culturally, because "the public perception of a game that comes out of BioWare, even if you do do that, isn't apocalyptically bad." His logic applies equally to Maxis and The Sims.
What this means for players
Hyland's comments don't guarantee anything about the game's future direction. She spoke as one team member, not as someone setting corporate policy, and the acquisition itself is not yet finalized. But there is something reassuring in hearing that the people doing the daily work on The Sims view inclusion as something they actively built and intend to defend, rather than a directive imposed from above.
If you are a Sims player who has watched this buyout news with worry, you are not alone, and neither are the people making the game.