A new petition from EA employees has surfaced online, along with additional pushback from US politician representatives.
Electronic Arts is currently facing two opposing forces negotiating against the recently announced private equity buyout. One by the United States politicians who are concerned for the privacy and data collection of millions of players, and another by EA’s own employees who are worried about their job positions.
Let’s break it down in the latest news reports:
US Politicians Send a Letter to the US Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
An official letter pushing against Electronic Arts’ $55 billion dollar buyout by private investment firms, including Jared Kushner, Saudi Arabia’s private investment fund and Silver Lake was sent out today. The letter, written by US politicians Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal to United States’ Scott Bessent, Secretary of of the Treasury and Chair of the Comittee on Foreign Investment talks about the concerns of this private deal. Stating that there are several risks at stake with the proposed buyout; including data collection, Saudi Arabia’s intentions of clearing its name and Jared Kushner’s inclusion in the deal to ensure “government’s approval of transaction”.
The letter goes in greater detail about the concerns this imposes for the national security and customer data. Implying that “The unrestricted access to this information by a repressive, authoritarian government poses significant potential risks of surveillance of Americans, covert Saudi propaganda, and selective retaliation and censorship of persons disfavored by the Saudi government.”
Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal emphasized on the secret intentions that this leveraged buyout might have for Saudi Arabia’s long term goal.
Leveraging long term shifts in public opinion, through the PIF’s investments, “Saudi Arabia is seeking to normalize its global image, expand its cultural reach, and gain leverage in spaces that shape how billions of people connect and interact.” Saudi Arabia’s desire to buy influence through the acquisition of EA is apparent on the face of the transaction—the investors propose to pay more than $10 billion above EA’s trading value for a company whose stock has “stagnated for half a decade” in an unpredictably volatile industry.
Considering that Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Fund is the majority stakeholder of this buyout, the mentioned US politicians are concerned for Jared Kushner’s involvment in the whole purchase. Insinuating that his son-in-law relations to the current president of United States Donald Trump might be the main reason he’s being involved in this deal. Ensuring that it goes through successfully during his presidency.
Moreover, the PIF’s decision to partner with Trump family member Jared Kushner, whose firm previously received a $2 billion investment from the PIF over the objections of the PIF’s own investment screening board, raises troubling questions about whether Mr. Kushner is involved in the transaction solely to ensure the federal government’s approval of the transaction. Given the proposed transaction’s termination fee contingencies, the three investors appear to be betting $1 billion that Mr. Kushner can deliver the Trump Administration’s regulatory approvals. Indeed, consistent with the Trump Administration’s unprecedented corruption and monetization of federal government power, “What regulator is going to say no to
the president’s son-in-law?”
The full letter to US Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs can be found here. According to Insider Gaming, the first round of reviews and investigations on this matter should be done by November 4th, 2025.
This wouldn’t be the first time that a video gaming company buyout is facing pushback in the world of US politics. Microsoft’s acquisition of gaming company Activision / Blizzard went through several trials, regulations and pushbacks before the deal eventually went through. This time around the employees are ready to push back too…
EA Employees are Taking a Stand
What started as anonymous quotes to news reporters about the potential workspace insecurity turned into a public petition. Created by its own employees at EA, the new official petition is standing against the privatization and buyout of Electronic Arts. If jobs are lost or studios are closed due to this deal, that would be a choice, not a necessity, made to pad investors pockets — not to strengthen the company.
The petition states that Electronic Arts makes $7.5 billion revenue a year, with over $1 billion dollars in profit. It’s not a necessity, but rather a free choice by EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson. One that its own employees weren’t made aware of, and are now concerned for their own future.
Read the full petition down below:
For years, video game publishers have been racking up profits by squeezing workers and players.
Now a group of investors – including the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners – wants to buy Electronic Arts, concentrating even more power and wealth into the hands of a few gatekeepers while doing nothing to address the concerns of workers and players.
EA is not a struggling company. With annual revenues reaching $7.5 billion annually and $1 billion in profit each year, EA is one of the largest video game developers and publishers in the world. EA’s success has been entirely driven by tens of thousands of EA workers like us whose creativity, skill and innovation made EA worth buying in the first place.
If jobs are lost or studios are closed due to this deal, that would be a choice, not a necessity, made to pad investors pockets — not to strengthen the company.
We are calling on regulators and elected officials to scrutinize this deal and ensure that any path forward protects jobs, and preserves creative freedom.
Sign the petition to join us in our fight to make video games better for workers and players – not billionaires.
The petition can be signed by both EA players and EA employees, as well as players of video games from other companies.
It’s been expected that the largest video game buyout will face pushbacks and obstacles, but not on the scale where the company’s own employees are ready to empower complaints to the Federal Trade Comission.
What are your thoughts on the latest developments on the EA buyout? Let us know in the comments down below and stay tuned for the latest Electronic Arts updates!
Signed it.
Signed, commented and worried.
Considering how much data they’re harvesting from our computers, I think the concern is valid. Has anyone actually taken a hard look at the new updated User Agreement and Play Charter? I’m honestly surprised more people aren’t up in arms about it.
I still don’t know if the deal is finally through. And if a not-American person can sign the petition.