EA Workers React to Saudi Arabia Acquisition With Fear and Moral Unease

Electronic Arts employees are speaking out about the publisher's seismic $55 billion take-private acquisition by Saudi Arabia, and the mood inside the company is grim. Workers interviewed across multiple outlets describe a workplace gripped by cynicism, moral doubt, and a persistent fear of what the new ownership structure means for their jobs and their creative freedom. One employee summed up the sentiment bluntly: "It's hard to feel good about being bought out by a regime that's very much at odds with progressive society."

Beyond the ethical concerns, practical anxieties are running just as deep. Developers say they already felt "the threat of layoffs at all times" before the deal, and many believe Saudi ownership will only intensify that pressure. Several workers expressed doubt that underperforming teams or projects would be given room to recover, with one noting, "It's hard to see how teams or games that underperform wouldn't be dissolved." Management has offered assurances, but employees say those messages have done little to ease worries about potential censorship or cultural interference from the new owners. As one worker put it plainly: "I feel dirty."

Sources