EA hasn’t been having the greatest time in 2017. With microtransactions being the big thing these days and the publisher being watched by governments, there’s no telling what the future holds for the company. They even reversed their stance on the pay-to-play model the day before Star Wars Battlefront II‘s launch after they received an overwhelming amount of backlash. Combine this with the acquiring and closing of beloved studios, and it’s understandable that all eyes are on them. To add to the controversy, a recent rumor regarding the Plants vs. Zombies creator’s departure from EA did not help matters. However, new information may point to a different scenario taking place.

Edmund McMillen, a friend of PvZ creator George Fan, recently spoke out on why the firing took place. He stated that it was because of Fan’s stance on the pay-to-win model that EA let him go. When the publisher proposed the idea of a sequel, Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time, they wanted to include microtransactions. George was against this, reportedly saying, “I dunno, that’s not really a good idea and I don’t want to do that with my game.” McMillen then states that Fan was subsequently fired for his position on the matter.

However, a recent report states that this is not how everything went down between the Plants vs. Zombies creator and EA. When the publisher acquired PopCap back in 2011, the game became their property. While the title was developed with an indie mindset, EA was interested in turning it into a franchise and striking the iron while it was hot with a pay-to-win model. Fan did not appreciate this, but he wasn’t let go because of it. According to two former co-workers, George, who wasn’t even working on PvZ2 at the time, happened to be part of the 50-person team that comprised PopCap’s San Mateo office, which was closed in 2012, leaving the group unemployed.

George even confirmed this with a tweet. While it doesn’t outright say that he wasn’t fired due to his stance on microtransactions, he does state that he was let go by the publisher and that he did not agree with making PvZ2 a freemium title. Here’s the tweet:

Regarding recent rumors, it is true I was laid off by EA/PopCap, and also true that I was against making PvZ2 a freemium game. That's all I'll say on the matter for now

— George Fan (@thegeorgefan) November 21, 2017

People may have interpreted Fan’s tweet to mean that McMillen’s story was true, but the recent information to come to light should be a reminder that correlation does not imply causation. EA may be painted as the bad guy these days, but it would be difficult to imagine them shutting down an entire studio just because one employee doesn’t agree with their practices. Keep it tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers as we keep an eye on the situation, and for other gaming news, check out the following:

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What say you, gamers? Do you believe McMillen’s telling of the situation, or do you genuinely think the Plants vs. Zombies creator was let go because the office he worked in was shut down? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below, and be sure to follow DFTG on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment news 24/7!