Players Should Boycott The Sims After Its Acquisition by Kushner, Saudi PIF, and Silver Lake
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jordan-erica-webber. "After 25 years, I’m breaking up with The Sims. Here’s why you should, too | Jordan Erica Webber | The Guardian." August 19, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that people should stop playing The Sims because it was just bought by a group including the Saudi government's investment fund and Jared Kushner, both linked to serious human rights concerns, and the purchase was financed with a huge amount of debt that will likely force EA to squeeze more money out of players through worse business practices. She worries the game's long-standing inclusive, welcoming spirit will be corrupted or exploited by these new owners, either through propaganda or careless commercialization.
Conclusion
Players should stop playing The Sims (and by extension, EA games) because of who now owns the company and how the acquisition was financed.
Premises
- The new owners of EA include the Saudi Public Investment Fund (linked to human rights abuses including the Khashoggi assassination, the Yemen war, and migrant worker abuse), Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners (Kushner being complicit in Gaza policy under Trump/Netanyahu), and Silver Lake (heavily invested in AI infrastructure).
- These entities have demonstrated interest in using soft power and cultural platforms (e.g., Gamergate exploitation, ICE meme campaigns, sportswashing) to further political agendas, suggesting they may similarly exploit The Sims' popularity for propaganda or ideological control.
- The Sims has historically been valued for its inclusivity toward diverse races, genders, and sexual orientations, and the new ownership's political alignment threatens this identity—either by inserting propaganda or by alienating the game's diverse fanbase.
- The $55bn acquisition was a leveraged buyout funded substantially by $22bn in debt from JP Morgan (a major fossil fuel financier), meaning EA now must generate significant extra revenue to service this debt.
- This financial pressure will likely lead to consumer-harmful practices such as increased use of generative AI, predatory microtransactions, and layoffs, degrading the quality and integrity of the game.
- Prominent content creators and even a U.S. Congressman have already taken action or expressed concern, lending credibility to the idea that this is a legitimate, shared concern rather than an overreaction.
Assumptions
- Financial support for a company (via purchasing its products) constitutes meaningful complicity in the actions or values of that company's owners.
- The stated political/ethical character of an owner will necessarily translate into changes in the product itself (creative control or exploitation of the platform).
- Leveraged buyouts financed by debt reliably lead to worse outcomes for consumers (e.g., monetization schemes, layoffs) rather than neutral or improved business outcomes.
- The inclusivity and quality of The Sims are values worth protecting, and their erosion would constitute a genuine loss.
- Individual consumer boycotts can meaningfully influence corporate behavior or ownership structures.