The CWA-backed United Video Games union has written to the US Federal Trade Commission in opposition to the proposed acquisition of EA by private investors, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and various investment firms.
The letter, published on Action Network, lays out the case against the acquisition, stating that EA is not “a struggling company”, and any jobs lost as a result of the sale would be: ” a choice, not a necessity, made to pad investors pockets — not to strengthen the company.”
They conclude the letter with a call for members of the US public to sign an accompanying petition, and to a request to members of the Federal Trade Commission who could potentially halt the deal, writing: “We are calling on regulators and elected officials to scrutinize this deal and ensure that any path forward protects jobs, and preserves creative freedom.”
Last December, EA shareholders approved the proposed deal for private investors to buy the company. This left only US institutions like the Federal Trade Commission able to slow the deal down or block it. If approved, EA will be almost entirely owned by the government wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, a country that has been criticised due to its history of human rights violations.
How likely is it that the US would block such a deal? Well, while some members of the government have criticised the deal, the Financial Times reported it will likely face little pushback due to the involvement of the current president’s Son-in-Law Jared Kushner.
The record-breaking deal will cost its new owners a staggering $55bn, and as such embracing AI will be the road to making that money back according to senior EA leadership.
