EA Employees Fear Tighter Control Over Game Development After Saudi Acquisition

The acquisition of Electronic Arts by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) officially closed on August 4. The $55 billion transaction took EA private, with roughly $20 billion of the financing raised as debt. Alongside PIF, the consortium includes private equity firm Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners.

Following the completion of the deal, EA staff continue to worry that the new ownership could tighten oversight on the projects the publisher develops and restrict certain themes. Concerns about potential creative shifts emerged when the buyout was first announced. Several current and former EA employees expressed apprehension regarding the future of franchises with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, particularly The Sims. Former BioWare lead writer Trick Weekes suggested at the time that titles centered on firearms and soccer would face no pushback, while overt efforts to promote “Western values” could run into obstacles.

EA leadership previously sought to reassure staff that the company’s corporate and cultural values would stay intact under the new ownership. According to Game Developer, those assurances did not resolve internal doubts. One employee suggested that projects might simply fail to receive greenlights if they conflict with the new owners’ vision. Developers might also avoid pitching specific ideas altogether to prevent friction with leadership.

Another worker cited moral discomfort with the deal due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. An additional staff member criticized the decision to sell the publisher to an entity controlled by the Saudi crown prince, adding that the involvement of Kushner’s Affinity Partners further fueled negative sentiment around the buyout.

Source: iXBT.games