// startup autopsy
Maxis
The creator of SimCity and The Sims was shut by EA in 2015 after a botched always-online SimCity relaunch nearly destroyed the franchise.
acquisition gone wrongSilent Shutdown
Quiet closure with no public announcement · Fatal mistake: Acquisition Failure
// the model, blind
Evaluating only Maxis’s profile at its peak — without knowing the outcome — the model ranked Acquisition gone wrong as the #1 likely cause. That’s exactly how it died.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Maxis founded by Will Wright and Jeff Braun to create simulation games.
ACQUISITION ATTEMPT
Electronic Arts acquired Maxis, integrating the studio into its portfolio.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
The Sims launched and became a cultural phenomenon, generating billions in franchise revenue for EA.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
SimCity (2013) released with mandatory always-online DRM, causing server collapse and making the game unplayable for days.
FRAUD EXPOSURE
Players discovered that SimCity's artificially limited city size was a hidden online dependency, not a design choice.
DOWN ROUND
Maxis faced declining player bases and revenue as SimCity's reputation damaged the studio's credibility with consumers.
SHUTDOWN
EA shut down Maxis Emeryville in March 2015, canceling remaining projects and relocating The Sims franchise to other studios.