Video game union workers rally against $55B private acquisition of EA
a day ago
- #labor rights
- #corporate acquisitions
- #video game industry
- EA employees and the Communications Workers of America union oppose the $55bn private acquisition of EA by investors including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners.
- Workers claim they were excluded from negotiations and argue that any job losses would be a choice to benefit investors, not a necessity, given EA's strong financial performance ($7.5bn annual revenue, $1bn profit).
- The union fears layoffs and studio closures, citing industry-wide job cuts since 2022, and warns that private equity deals reduce worker transparency and control over creative decisions.
- A petition has been launched urging regulators to scrutinize the deal, demanding protections for jobs, creative freedom, and worker accountability.
- Human Rights Watch criticizes Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund for human rights abuses and misallocation of public wealth, calling the EA deal a distraction from these issues.