EA Executives Allegedly Referred To Employees As “Little Babies” Over Buyout Deal Concerns

“Little Babies”: EA Executives Comment Highlights Staff Frustration After EA Buyout

It has been just over two weeks since the completion of the joint buyout of EA by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, Affinity Partners, and Silver Lake. Despite assurances that company culture won't change, internal sentiments beg to differ.
In a new investigation from Game Developer, anonymous employees across EA and its studios describe a growing “state of cynicism” - capped by a moment in which a department director reportedly called staff “little babies” after forgetting his microphone was still on at the end of a meeting.

Employee Sentiment Drops Post Buyout

Inside EA, leadership keep repeating that the buyout won’t touch the company’s creative culture. The people actually making the games aren’t so sure.
Maxis has publicly said its values around inclusivity, creativity, community, and play aren’t going anywhere. In a statement from October 2025, Maxis stated: "Our mission, values, and commitment remain the same. The Sims will always be a space where you can express your authentic self". Similarly, in a leaked statement from EA to members of the Creator Network, they stated: "You will always be free to express your honest opinions if you choose to".

But the employees who spoke to GameDeveloper say those reassurances don’t land the way leadership hopes. The values sound good on paper, but they’re now sitting alongside the reality of being owned by a regime accused of violently suppressing its own citizens.
One person described the whole situation as “morally odious.” Another said they “feel dirty” knowing their queer friends and family would be seen as "inhuman" by EA's new owners.

One source told Game Developer that it is unlikely that the Crown Prince will gather all employees in a meeting and say that a project isn't happening; they will simply not fund said project if it does not align with Saudi morals. That possibility has left some developers worried that creative decisions could start bending around what might be considered “safe,” not because anyone is explicitly told to change direction, but because teams fear an idea won’t survive the funding stage.

EA Director Calls Employees "Little Babies" After Concerns Raised.

According to two Game Developer sources, a director at EA forgot to mute his microphone at the end of an internal town hall. As the meeting closed, he was heard calling employees “little babies” in response to the concerns they had raised about company culture. While one of the sources did not think the comment was meant to be taken seriously, it does highlight the gap between executives and those working in EA's studios.

Perhaps the most tone-deaf statement by a developer:

EA has been attempting to convince employees that the buyout deal is worth it by tempting them with stock price payouts. There has also been a promise of changes in employee bonus schemes, but the details of that are still "murky".

Why Things Haven't Changed Yet - And What Might Come Next

Several employees told GameDeveloper they don’t expect an immediate shift anyway. Deals like this rarely come with a dramatic announcement or a sudden rewrite of studio culture. The impact tends to arrive slowly, through funding decisions, project priorities, and all other worries mentioned by EA employees. For now, nothing major has shifted. But the people inside EA who spoke to GameDeveloper say the real test won’t be in these first few weeks; it will be as games such as Project X continue development and face the chopping block if they are not up to the new EA standard.

That being said, there is nothing to suggest that The Sims franchise is in any danger of going anywhere. After all, it is a big money maker for EA. The biggest change we are likely to see is more aggressive forms of monetisation implemented than we already have (if that can be believed).

What are your thoughts on the EA Buyout now that the company's fate has been sealed? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to Sims Community for all the latest on Electronic Arts!