Maxis Emeryville, the studio behind "SimCity" and "The Sims," has been closed by Electronic Arts, Polygon reported.

The information has started to leave others wondering whether the popular Sims franchise is still getting another sequel, or would culminate with "The Sims 4."

Of course, this doesn't mention the idea that many of the studio's employees have lost their jobs. "SimCity" gameplay scripter-designer Guillaume Pierre said in a tweet, "Yes. Everyone's out of a job."

Last year, producer Grant Rodiek has spoken about the purported sequel. Cinema Blend took note of his words, "We're not working on Sims 5. We're not thinking about Sims 5. If Sims 4 isn't successful, there won't be a Sims 5."

At this point, however, EA has confirmed that the Sims franchise will go on -- though it hasn't mentioned about "The Sims 5" per se.

The company's statement to Polygon said, "Today we are consolidating Maxis IP development to our studios in Redwood Shores, Salt Lake City, Helsinki and Melbourne locations as we close our Emeryville location."

"Maxis continues to support and develop new experiences for current Sims and 'SimCity' players, while expanding our franchises to new platforms and developing new cross-platform IP," EA announced.

Does this mean Sims players can sit back, relax and continue living their virtual lives?

Well that seems to be the case, since the announcement doesn't affect the company's plans for the franchise. EA assured, "Players will continue to see rich new experiences in 'The Sims 4,' with our first expansion pack coming soon along with a full slate of additional updates and content in the pipeline."

Now that's certainly worth noting.

Maxis' claim to fame began in 1987 when it was founded. As told by Game Rant, the studio rose with the original release of "SimCity," followed by a much-larger spectacle through the arrival of "The Sims."

Interestingly, the outlet isn't very surprised about the closure of Emeryville, citing EA's "nasty habit" of closing studios that may have performed unsatisfactorily.

While this is best taken with a pinch of salt, sims5game.com wrote that "The Sims 5," touted to bring advanced features, will likely arrive in 2019. The source also claimed that the sequel comes with "bright animation graphics and high quality of characters & stimulations mode."

For the uninitiated, "The Sims" is a life simulation game that grants players the ability to create and control people. The installments of the franchise vary at many points, but almost all is centered on customization and living virtual lives as desired.

Check out this fan-made "Sims 5" trailer uploaded by ags0004: