News: 0179810080

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Video Game Union Workers Rally Against $55 Billion Saudi-Backed Private Acquisition of EA (eurogamer.net)

(Thursday October 16, 2025 @11:30PM (BeauHD) from the put-on-pause dept.)


EA employees and the Communications Workers of America union have condemned the company's proposed [1]$55 billion private acquisition -- backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, " [2]claiming they were not represented in the negotiations and any jobs lost as a result would 'be a choice, not a necessity, made to pad investors' pockets," reports Eurogamer. From the report:

> Following the announcement, there's been plenty of speculation around the future of EA and its multiple owned studios, split between EA Sports and EA Entertainment. Now, members of the United Videogame Workers union and the CWA have issued a formal response alongside a petition for regulators to scrutinize the deal. "EA is not a struggling company," the statement reads. "With annual revenues reaching $7.5 billion and $1 billion in profit each year, EA is one of the largest video game developers and publishers in the world."

>

> This success has been driven by company workers, the union stated. "Yet we, the very people who will be jeopardized as a result of this deal, were not represented at all when this buyout was negotiated or discussed." Citing the number of layoffs across the industry since 2022, workers fear for "the future of our studios that are arbitrarily deemed 'less profitable' but whose contributions to the video game industry define EA's reputation." "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 statement reads.

>

> "Every time private equity or billionaire investors take a studio private, workers lose visibility, transparency, and power," it continues. "Decisions that shape our jobs, our art, and our futures are made behind closed doors by executives who have never written a line of code, built worlds, or supported live services. We are calling on regulators and elected officials to scrutinize this deal and ensure that any path forward protects jobs, preserves creative freedom, and keeps decision-making accountable to the workers who make EA successful." As such, workers have launched a petition in a "fight to make video games better for workers and players -- not billionaires". The statement concludes: "The value of video games is in their workers. As a unified voice, we, the members of the industry-wide video game workers' union UVW-CWA, are standing together and refusing to let corporate greed decide the future of our industry."



[1] https://games.slashdot.org/story/25/09/29/134259/saudi-takeover-of-ea-in-55-billion-deal-raises-serious-concerns

[2] https://www.eurogamer.net/ea-union-workers-rally-against-55bn-saudi-backed-private-acquisition-with-formal-petition-to-regulators



Was any of the companies the bought "struggling?" (Score:3)

by Z80a ( 971949 )

I know in a long run this will be bad, but that's the perfect end for a publisher that killed so many

Re: (Score:2)

by sound+vision ( 884283 )

I don't think I've played an EA game since SimCity 4. I don't see much loss if EA disappears. Maybe the employees can find jobs where they are allowed to develop interesting games.

That said, I think it's more likely people keep buying the same EA game every year, but now the dictatorships in Saudi Arabia and the US get a cut. That is, of course, a bad thing.

Video Game Union Workers... (Score:2)

by EvilSS ( 557649 )

...learn they have no real power.

While so many rant about Jewish Inflience... (Score:3, Informative)

by TigerPlish ( 174064 )

While so many rant about Jewish influence in media, politics and such, the Arabs have been quietly making inroads for a bit now.

They kinda own F1 now. the head of FIA is Arab.

Slashot is owned by Arabs.

And Arabs are actively shaping politics in Washington. Some of it is the screechy Leftist bullshit, but some of it is quiet, suit-and-tie, polite and still corrosive to our nation.

Keep looking the way the media shows you. You're missing what's happening. What's happening is a tidal shift, and I can't wait for the usual peanut gallery to start screaming "THAT"S RACISSSSS!!!" To all of you, i preemptively say: Fuck off. If pointing out truth is racist, then fucking come for me and hang me already. Burn a cross on my lawn if it makes you feel better.

We're fucked, and the only thing left to do is get rekt.

Upcoming EA games (Score:3)

by fjo3 ( 1399739 )

SimJihad Command and Behead - Jamal Khashoggi Edition Battlefield 9/11 Need for Speed - No Women FIFA 2034 - Dead Construction Workers Edition

Should pressure to sell studios off (Score:2)

by locater16 ( 2326718 )

These employees should pressure EA to sell the studios they work for off. 2K, an even bigger publisher (GTA, etc.) has the cash. They'd get out from under the Saudis and EA's dead and soulless eyed CEO at the same time. Even a money grubbing profit seeker like the head of 2K would be an improvement, at least he's competent.

\o/ (Score:2)

by easyTree ( 1042254 )

The reason they are in this position is because you guys believe they have something and need to work for them. What they have is the ability to convince you of this. You make the games - organise yourselves into small groups and make games for yourselves.

Stop letting asshats exploit you.

Re: (Score:2)

by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

EA specifically makes a lot of its money from having agreements with other big companies: FIFA, NFL, NHL, F1, NBA, etc. That requires a lot of money that the employees probably don't have, and also probably multi-year exclusive contracts EA has locked up.

However, they could quit and go make new games instead of adding a few more polys to the models and updating the database of player names every year. Maybe ask the union for some startup capital. Helping employee-owned companies get started would seem to be

We all agree on the necessity of compromise. We just can't agree on
when it's necessary to compromise.
-- Larry Wall