Bloomberg is reporting that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is exploring a plan to merge Electronic Arts with Savvy Games Group, another gaming company it owns. If it goes ahead, the move would place EA, Maxis, and The Sims franchise under a combined mega-publisher with a heavy mobile footprint.
No final decision has been made, according to Bloomberg's sources, and several hurdles remain before anything could move forward. But for Sims players already watching the fallout from EA's $55 billion buyout in August 2026, this is another significant shift to keep an eye on.
What Bloomberg reported
The PIF completed its acquisition of EA for $55 billion last month. Now, Bloomberg reports that the fund is weighing whether to fold EA into Savvy Games Group so it can manage all of its gaming investments through a single company. The logic, per Bloomberg, is to streamline control and make future acquisitions simpler.
This is not a done deal. Bloomberg's reporting makes clear that PIF is still in the exploratory phase, and any merger would need to clear regulatory review, similar to what Microsoft faced during its purchase of Activision Blizzard. The merger also would not move forward until Savvy finishes its current $6 billion acquisition of Moonton, a major mobile developer.
Who Savvy Games are and why it matters
Savvy Games Group was established in 2021 and has received roughly $38 billion to build out a gaming portfolio. Its holdings include Scopely (the studio behind Monopoly Go) and stakes in Niantic (Pokémon Go). It operates as an umbrella company, buying studios and investing across mobile and console/PC gaming, though its acquisitions skew heavily toward mobile.
That mobile focus is the detail Sims players should pay attention to. EA already has a sizeable mobile library, but combining it with Savvy's portfolio would create a company where mobile revenue and strategy carry even more weight at the executive level. Cross-platform integration was a core part of the now-shelved Project Rene; whether that approach carries over to whatever comes next for the franchise is still unknown.
What this could mean for Maxis and The Sims
Nothing in Bloomberg's reporting suggests Maxis is being broken up, sold, or relocated. The studio has been part of EA for decades, predating even the original Sims release. A Savvy merger would not change who makes The Sims, but it could reshape the priorities of the company signing off on budgets and project direction.
Sims Community highlighted three areas worth watching:
Mobile expansion pressure. Savvy's portfolio is built around mobile gaming. If EA is folded into that structure, there may be stronger internal pushes for mobile or cross-platform projects. That does not mean The Sims will become a mobile-only game, but the balance of investment priorities could shift.
Tighter corporate oversight. Bloomberg has separately reported that the PIF has been tightening oversight of the companies it controls. A merged entity could introduce more centralized leadership above Maxis, adding another layer between the studio and the people greenlighting projects.
Workplace uncertainty. Maxis employees have already voiced concerns about the buyout itself. Sims Community reported in August that some EA staff felt uneasy about the new ownership, with worries ranging from creative self-censorship to dismissive responses from leadership when concerns were raised. Stacking a second corporate restructuring on top of that is unlikely to ease tensions.
Staying grounded on what we actually know
It is worth being direct about the limits of this story. Bloomberg's sources say the PIF is considering a merger. That is not the same as announcing one. Regulatory review, the pending Moonton deal, and internal decision-making all stand between where things are now and an actual combination of EA and Savvy Games.
For The Sims franchise specifically, there is no indication of any immediate change to how the game is developed or sold. The concerns above are real and grounded in the business dynamics at play, but they are forward-looking, not descriptions of something already happening.
We will update as more details emerge. For the full breakdown from Sims Community, read their original reporting here.