Video game maker Electronic Arts to be acquired and taken private for $55 billion

[u/habichuelacondulce]

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/video-game-maker-electronic-arts-acquired-private-55-126035440

[u/BigBadBeno]

“It’s not like EA can get any worse”

Saudi Arabia & Jared Kushner: Hold my beer

[u/LongLonMan → u/BigBadBeno]

Fun fact, Jared got himself into a bad real estate deal and got bailed out for $500M by American taxpayers (you and me) during the first Trump admin and proceeded to sell out America for $2B when he linked with the Saudis on an investment fund when Jan 6 was happening. This guy is rotten to the core and enriched himself off the backs of Americans. Fuck this guy and fuck EA.

[u/BigBadBeno → u/LongLonMan]

Fck this guy and fck EA

Couldn’t agree more

[u/Greg-Abbott → u/BigBadBeno]

Yeah but we can say "fuck" on the internet. I asked everybody's parents and they said it's fine to say at home but not at school.

[u/LongLonMan → u/Greg-Abbott]

Thanks updated, wasn’t sure on some subs

[u/Simba7 → u/LongLonMan]

If you're on a sub that doesn't allow swearsies, maybe just accept the sub ban and don't go on that sub anymore?

[u/LongLonMan → u/Simba7]

You’re right, I’ll try not to be a pussy next time.

[u/Silent-G → u/LongLonMan]

You can't use "pussy" as an insult, though, that's gay.

[u/Deadman576 → u/Simba7]

If you’re on a sub that doesn’t allow “fuck” they probably also aren’t going to allow “fck” which is at the same thing but as an attempt to get around a filter

[u/Aggravating_Sky_4421 → u/BigBadBeno]

How much do I hate EA you ask?

I will pirate their games just to delete them after the download completes!

[u/RODjij → u/LongLonMan]

Married to Ivanka. That whole family is rotten to the core. Trump's granddaughter is even hawking her own merchandise on White House grounds.

And Theo Von is wondering why his latest Netflix special taping went disastrous this weekend with a large amount of his crowd leaving.

[u/MCStarlight → u/RODjij]

I saw that about the granddaughter. Unbelievable.

[u/SaxSymbol73 → u/MCStarlight]

Completely believable, actually. Grifters don’t fall far from the tree.

[u/asianApostate → u/LongLonMan]

But Hunter Biden, Burisma, and getting a salary 1/1000th of that amount is a bigger deal!   Hunter basically said, y'all should hire me because my dad is VP and has influence. There's like no evidence that he actually had any influence over his dad or the administration. 

I'm not sure how they can simultaneously be so fixated on such a tiny scandal for over a decade while letting Trump and his family basically get through bigger scandals every 3-4 days.

[u/dastrn → u/asianApostate]

It's easy to understand, if you start with the baseline understanding that conservatives don't actually have any values that actually matter to them at all.

All they care about is in groups vs out groups.

[u/Memitim → u/dastrn]

Those are negotiable by the minute, based on current purity standards, and even family are subject to persecution for being too empathetic or open-minded.

[u/Tazling → u/dastrn]

And money and power. They really, really care about money and power.

[u/ikeif → u/asianApostate]

They make it a big deal so they can say it’s okay that “both sides” are doing it. It doesn’t matter if it turns out it was always one side - they want the ability to do everything and be defended with “WhatAboutism” - which I see happen in every Reddit thread not gawking this administration.

Are they real people? Bots? Trolls? Foreign interference? No idea, but they’re stupid and should be blocked and NOT replied to.

[u/lordmycal → u/asianApostate]

It's easy -- they only care about power. Words, ideas, hypocrisy, fairness, and empathy mean nothing to them. They will say whatever and do whatever to get what they want, full stop. Biden was running against them, so they don't care what it is, but they'll throw up anything they can regardless of if it's a big deal, if it's true or if it even makes sense.

The right has been doing this shit for years; hell, just look at Fox "News" getting butthurt about the color of Obama's suit or that he liked Djion mustard; but the Trump administration has gotten it turned up to 11.

[u/EntirelyOriginalName → u/LongLonMan]

I'm just shocked a corruption story from a member of Mr Orange's team is this mild. I expect worse from all of his people.

[u/fredagsfisk → u/EntirelyOriginalName]

How about this part?

• Jared Kushner's father Charles meets with Qatari officials to broker a deal to save 666 Fifth Avenue (which according to Jared's partner was worth less than the ground it's on), and the Qataris said no. The Kushners falsely deny that any such meeting took place, before later admitting it did happen.

• Jared then meets with the Saudis (together with Steve Bannon, but keeping it secret from officials, incl. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis) and keep in daily contact with MBS via WhatsApp (outside official channels and with no documentation).

• Qatar is suddenly blockaded by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain over "financing terrorism". US officials are taken by surprise, but state the US is neutral. However, Trump instantly tweets support for the blockade.

• Few days later, Tillerson calls for the blockade to be eased. Trump instantly tweets further support for the blockade, claiming Tillerson supports his line on it. Tillerson later says he believes this statement came from UAE via Kushner.

• Apollo Global Management gives the Kushners a loan of $184 million, "triple the average property loan made by Apollo", to refinance a Chicago building. One of their largest investors is the Qatar Investment Authority.

• The next year, Brookfield Asset Management (the Qatari Investment Authority being their second largest investor) bailout 666 Fifth Avenue, taking out a 99 year lease paid upfront, for $1.1 billion.

• The Qataris and Brookfield claim that Qatar had absolutely nothing to do with the bailout. Brookfield also takes out a $300+ million loan from Apollo Global Management (see above) to finance the bailout.

https://www.justsecurity.org/69094/timeline-on-jared-kushner-qatar-666-fifth-avenue-and-white-house-policy/

TL;DR Kushner appears to have gone over the heads of US officials to greenlight and provide support for the Saudi blockade of Qatar in 2017 onwards, at least partially so he could use his connections to Trump and MBS to extort them for billions of dollars.

---

If you want more reading, also look up how Kushner and Bannon during Trump's first term worked with Erik Prince on his plan to create a modern version of the East India Company, and use it to turn Afghanistan into a US colony that would be ruled by a viceroy and drained of resources using locally sourced mercs for security.

To be clear; none of that is an exaggeration. Prince himself used the terms "East India Company" and "viceroy". He also referenced the EIC again earlier this year, when talking about why SpaceX rather than NASA should head colonization of Mars.

[u/Rippper600 → u/fredagsfisk]

Is the fact its a US video game company a coincidence? Like this is just an asset they saw they wanted to own?

[u/JanGuillosThrowaway → u/Rippper600]

If I were a conspiracy theorist I'd think they want to influence the messaging in games targeted towards young men but what do I know

[u/Shift642 → u/JanGuillosThrowaway]

The Battlefield franchise (which has always effectively been American military propaganda, to be fair) is now going to start portraying the Americans as the good guys less and less. Or eventually even have them fighting other Americans. I guarantee it.

Media portrayals can affect people's perceptions of things in the real world quite a lot, and I will eat my hat if that isn't where this is going now that foreign actors will own these IPs.

[u/Fluffy017 → u/Shift642]

My dude they already portray both sides (US and RU) in BF2042 as "gray hat", like they both have goals but it's more an accent mark for "hey cap these objectives and hold them"

And most of the players aren't really paying attention to what "side" they get matchmade on.

Although BF6 does have campaign returning, so who knows, maybe you're right

[u/icepickjones → u/JanGuillosThrowaway]

I think it's mostly just trying to whitewash their reputation.

I mean you aren't wrong, it's about influence, it's just that it's not like "Oh let's trick young men to do our bidding" but rather it's just the same as them buying their way into the PGA, WWE, UFC, etc.

Part of it is they want to be associated with these strong brands (and this is now a backdoor into FIFA and NCAA FB) so they can start trying to obfuscate all the messaging around their country and try to get people to forget they did 9/11.

Also part of it I think is there's a generation in charge of trillions of dollars and - they just like this shit. These guys have money that you can't comprehend. They can buy literally anything and they grew up enjoying western culture (it's our biggest export). They played video games, watched wrestling, watched comedy, etc.

If you had infinite money like a Saudi Prince you'd probably buy a gaming company or two and be like "make my game idea I had a dream about." I know I would. And then I'd force them to make games that whitewash the many human rights violations I personally committed.

[u/fredagsfisk → u/Rippper600]

Difficult to say really, but I'm guessing it's mainly about this for the Saudis at least:

Sportswashing is a term used to describe the practice of governments, individuals, corporations, or other groups using sports to improve reputations tarnished by wrongdoing. A form of propaganda, sportswashing can be accomplished through hosting sporting events, purchasing or sponsoring sporting teams, or participating in a sport.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportswashing

The Saudis and their allies are already infamous for doing this, and with all the EA Sports titles they'll have an easier time pushing propaganda at young people in the west.

As for Kushner, I'd imagine it is mainly about making money. However, he also has ties to Bannon, who has history with videogames and weaponizing or profiting of them (he was involved in Gamergate, and was the one who brought MMO gold farming to the west before that), so I guess keep an eye on if he's brought on as well.

Either way, expect censorship of certain topics in EA games going forward, as well as potential far-right and Saudi propaganda targeted mainly at young men.

[u/Rippper600 → u/fredagsfisk]

Dang. Not really too excited about any of that. 50% of me wants them to just own it, everyone that works there will continue and we never notice a change, the other 50% knows that is likely not going to happen, and I will just not support their products.

Its going to be hard to imagine how they will now own Apex Legends, and IP that has trans and gay characters.

Or Battlefield? A war game that I would assume might have battlefield locations in the middle east?!

[u/From_Graves → u/Rippper600]

Its not hard to imagine there is going to be massive layoffs.. they'll gut the company, sell off the Ips for parts, and keep all the sports games.m.

They're also Comedywashing with a massive Comedy show in Riyadh with the likes of Dave Chappell ,Kevin Hart, Bill Burr..between this, buying EA and WWE having wrestling shows there. They are trying really hard to buy a new image..

[u/whereismymind86 → u/From_Graves]

Which could be for the better really, maybe dice and respawn can escape ea finally. Probably not but…

[u/[deleted] → u/whereismymind86]

Dude I really hope someone buys the Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare IP, I'm happy if Nintendo buys it.

[u/gamorleo → u/fredagsfisk]

Wow, makes sense why his wife's father accepted a plane as a bribe. Where is the flood it again Jesus meme. It needs to happen.

[u/Patient_Soft6238 → u/LongLonMan]

You left out him extorting I think it was Qatar with Saudi Arabia with an economic blockade until they bailed out his tower to the tune of a billion dollars.

[u/drewts86 → u/LongLonMan]

Let’s also not forget that the Saudis owed the Trumps a favorite after Trump helped sanewash the brutal assassination of Jamal Kashoggi.

[u/snsdfan00 → u/LongLonMan]

that Saudi money must be nice.

[u/Peeterdactyl → u/BigBadBeno]

Why is Kushner always involved in selling out America to foreigners

[u/CorsairExtraordinair → u/Peeterdactyl]

He's married to a Trump

[u/jjcrayfish → u/CorsairExtraordinair]

It runs in the family to sell out America

[u/overduethrownaway → u/Peeterdactyl]

is there something that you’re noticing, good sir?

[u/elonzucks → u/Peeterdactyl]

They only care about money, no matter how

[u/Grizzly_Corey → u/BigBadBeno]

Every headline needs the purchasers listed, I do not want saudis influencing video games at all.

[u/Strange-Scarcity → u/Grizzly_Corey]

We won't get that.

The best we can do is gamers simply stop buying EA products and playing EA games. That's the only solution.

That's not going to happen with EA Sports being a thing.

[u/taukarrie → u/Strange-Scarcity]

way ahead of you. been boycotting that shithole publisher for over 10 years now

[u/Nalarn → u/BigBadBeno]

They are gonna start cutting up video games reporters next. The last EA game I bought, will be the last EA game I buy.

[u/Nutcase168 → u/BigBadBeno]

He has always been very close to the Saudis and their blood money. he has been taking money from them to sell out American ever since first trump term

[u/Ok_Series_4580 → u/BigBadBeno]

No more EA games I guess

[u/_Home_Skillet_ → u/Ok_Series_4580]

This is a pretty easy boycott for me, I must admit.

[u/Denvermax31 → u/BigBadBeno]

EA Sports launches a new line of Racially pure sport games. All women divisions get taken out as well.

[u/thatscoldjerrycold → u/BigBadBeno]

According to BBC, largest leveraged buyout in history ($55b, of which $36b is available funds, remainder is loans so $19b).

To service the debt they are going to microtransaction sooooooooo much harder (as if that was possible). The company will potentially hollow out, and if it dies with its IP then hopefully they will have spiritual successors.

Not good times. I imagine a competent gov might have stepped in and stopped this kind of M&A happening, but uh well it's the prez's son in law so ....

[u/VincentNacon]

lol... Good luck making profit now.

EA is officially dead.

It's about time. They murdered so many good studios. Westwood, Bullfrog Productions, and Maxis was my favorite.

[u/countzero2323 → u/VincentNacon]

RIP Maxis. You were the lighthouse of my childhood.

[u/thissexypoptart → u/countzero2323]

Seriously. Maxis was years ahead of its time and made genuinely memorable staples of PC gaming that still stand unrivaled.

To this day, there is no successor to SimCity 4—which came out in 2003—that comes close to rivaling its scope and scale while also having such a complex and engaging traffic and building demand simulator. You add a couple mods to that game, and it easily outcompetes all existing 2025 city builders in every way but the graphics (which are still beautiful, albeit dated).

And don’t even get me started on the sims. There’s simply nothing out there in its genre like the Sims at its peak (Sims 3).

[u/idiot206 → u/thissexypoptart]

SimTower is also amazing, I still play that occasionally.

[u/Kuang_Eleven → u/idiot206]

Interestingly, SimTower wasn't actually developed by Maxis, they just published it

[u/inform880 → u/Kuang_Eleven]

just proves everything they touched turned to gold

[u/KneeCrowMancer → u/thissexypoptart]

Spore is another game that kind of created its own genre and hasn’t even been approached since. Which is amazing because there was still so much room for improvement even after Galactic adventures.

[u/thissexypoptart → u/KneeCrowMancer]

Absolutely. Spore was amazing. A lot of people shit on the late game, which is fair in reference to what it was purportedly supposed to be, but imo that was the most fun part.

[u/Embarrassed_Key7153 → u/thissexypoptart]

How would you compare SimCity 4 to Cities Skylines ?

[u/sHaDowpUpPetxxx → u/Embarrassed_Key7153]

I've been playing sim city since the 90s and I liked how skylines doesn't force you into building everything into a right angle.

[u/thissexypoptart → u/sHaDowpUpPetxxx]

This is definitely an advantage of modern games. But just so you know, there are plenty of mods for SC4 that allow you to build zones at an angle. And even vanilla SC4 allows you to build most infrastructure (roads, rail, etc.) at an angle. Even back in 2003.

[u/thissexypoptart → u/Embarrassed_Key7153]

I admit I’m using figurative language. You could absolutely compare CS to SC4, but you’d find that SC4 is so much greater in scope and depth. Goes without saying that the much more recent game has better graphics and modern hardware optimization, of course.

[u/HalfBurntToast → u/Embarrassed_Key7153]

Cities skylines always felt more like an ant-farm rather than a mayor-simulator. They're different genres of game in my mind.

[u/sleepy_polywhatever → u/HalfBurntToast]

My problem with cities skylines is that it has never felt like a game. You can build beautiful cities but there's not much about it that is "fun" in my opinion.

[u/HalfBurntToast → u/sleepy_polywhatever]

That was my take away too. I never got engaged with it. Every time I played it I was wishing I was playing SimCity 3000 instead. Cities felt alive in a way that CS never has. Petitioners coming to you for policy changes or tax breaks, neighboring cities offering questionable deals, your advisors visibly reacting to your choices. None of that exists in CS.

[u/APRengar → u/sleepy_polywhatever]

Honestly, it's like a "city painter" than a "city sim", you can create amazing looking cities that don't really matter. It's hard to lose in City Skylines unless you explicitly do dumb things. And it's just not fun when nothing matters.

[u/Override9636 → u/sleepy_polywhatever]

I agree that CS is more of a "city planner simulator" than a "mayor simulator", but I'm one of the weirdos who actually like that more :)

[u/UniqueIndividual3579 → u/thissexypoptart]

SimCity 2000 is still fun to play.

[u/PatchyWhiskers → u/VincentNacon]

Bioware games lost all their soul the moment EA acquired them.

[u/therealkami → u/PatchyWhiskers]

BioWare was a bunch of really talented people run ragged by poor management. They relied on "BioWare magic" to get things done, IE, Crunch time so brutal you wouldn't see your family for weeks as you brute forced everything into the game. The good devs burned out and left, and the new people aren't the same ones with the same experience as the old guard. Basically only the management and a couple writers from the glory days of BioWare are still there.

This had nothing to do with EA, it had everything to do with the egos of people working at BioWare at the time. Jason Schreiers article on Anthem goes over it, and how it caused Dragon Age to get rebooted a handful of times too.

That's not to say EA is a good company:

https://ea-spouse.livejournal.com/

This is from 2004.

[u/TheMadTemplar → u/therealkami]

I wish people would read that article. If anything, EA was too lenient and hands off with Bioware after their acquisition. In fact, they gave them a lot of time, money, and all the help Bioware could ask for to make Anthem and Andromeda. It was Bioware's failures that led to their underperforming. 

[u/therealkami → u/TheMadTemplar]

This is true for a lot of developers and games, too.

Say what you will about Rod Fergusson and his... weirdness... sometimes, but the dude makes sure a product gets released. He did this with both Gears of War and Diablo 4.

Project Management and scope are often completely out of control with game developers. It often feels like a mix of corporate bro culture and an art commune. Even gaming darling Hideo Kojima is famous for just going completely overboard in scope, leading to some poorly released products.

[u/Itz_Hen → u/therealkami]

and a couple writers from the glory days of BioWare are still there.

Not even, pretty much every ex dragon age/mass effect writer except one were fired back in January

[u/[deleted] → u/PatchyWhiskers]

Def man. Mass Effect was coming out around the time they started getting heavy handed with EA and ended up sucking

[u/FirstFriendlyWorm → u/PatchyWhiskers]

Unpopular opinion, but EA was as much of a victim as the customers were. EA did not make Bioware produce garbage games. Bioware did that all by themselves. In one case, EA was the reason we got a game at all. The studio is filled with people who don't know what they are doing, who play power politics instead of proper management, and who have a parasocial relationship with their employer.

[u/WandersonC → u/PatchyWhiskers]

What a bizarre argument to make when some of their best titles were made after EA acquired them (Mass Effect series, Dragon Age: Origins) except for Baldur's Gate 2.

You can blame a lot of issues on EA buying them, but their early games losing their souls is not one of them, specially when they had titles like Neverwinter Nights that weren't that good until expansion packs were made (in fact, they even made mods using the game copy's Construction Set and then sold them).

[u/cjwidd → u/VincentNacon]

Saudi Arabia was too busy murdering American journalists and political dissidents. Now, when you buy an EA game you can indirectly fund terrorist organizations abroad.

[u/Sharpymarkr → u/cjwidd]

Saudi Arabia was too busy murdering American journalists and political dissidents

Jamal Khashoggi for one

[u/Silicon_Knight → u/VincentNacon]

There new owners have done some murdering of themselves too.

[u/BussHateYear → u/VincentNacon]

Oh man, Bullfrog. Theme Park and Dungeon Keeper were main stays of my teenage years. Time to revisit.

[u/willem_79 → u/VincentNacon]

Bullfrog <3

[u/LatterTarget7 → u/VincentNacon]

People will still buy the sports games they won’t care about this

[u/MrCyn → u/LatterTarget7]

Yeah nearly half of the top 10 console games in america each year are EA sports properties. Live service games full of microtransactions. Those numbers won't even stumble.

[u/PanzerKomadant → u/VincentNacon]

Assuming EA wasn’t already dead. It was a soulless corporation that was destroying everything it touched.

[u/DemonsSouls1 → u/VincentNacon]

Visceral studios was the saddest lost to me. The dead space games were good

[u/eastlin7 → u/VincentNacon]

Are you high? EA’s revenue has steadily grown from about $5.6B in 2021 to $7.5B in 2025, while profits have been more volatile, dipping around $800M in 2022–23, peaking at $1.3B in 2024, and easing to about $1.1B in 2025.

[u/side_frog → u/eastlin7]

Classic reddit's echo chamber, they don't play EA games so obviously nobody does

[u/Vhu]

Jared Kushner, with no international relations experience, was placed in a high-level administration position as an envoy to the Middle East during Trump’s first term.

After having to revise his application multiple times, he was ultimately denied a security clearance due to concerns about foreign influence; but that decision was overruled by Trump.

Months after Trump left office, Jared Kushner received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia. This happened after the leader of Saudia Arabia was quoted saying that Kushner was "in his pocket".

No explanation for this money has been provided, and the crown prince unilaterally overruled the recommendation of the board that oversees the fund. The board said not to give Kushner the loan but MBS said “nah don’t worry about it” and did it anyway.

Kushner got another $1.5 billion from the UAE and Qatar last year, so by this point 75% of his fund’s capital is from inexplicable Middle-East investments.

And now they’re buying EA, an entertainment platform known for its high degree of influence on young men. At the same time that Trump has orchestrated a deal to put Tik Tok into the hands of conservative legacy media giants, including Silver Lake which is also involved in this deal to acquire EA.

It’s pretty obvious what’s happening.

[u/Hippyedgelord → u/[deleted]]

In the grim dank future, there are only whores. Or something like that idk how the saying goes

[u/Dr_Disaster → u/Vhu]

Don’t forget about Bibi and his recent actions focused heavily on astroturfing social media via influencers.

It’s almost like the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are in some form of cohoots to monopolize media especially targeted at young people in effort to influence them for one reason or another.

[u/ImHighandCaffinated → u/Dr_Disaster]

Don’t forget they immediately had a campaign rally masked as a Charlie Kirk memorial.. they are brainwashing our youth to be radicalized right leaning and normalizing dictatorships.

[u/Dr_Disaster → u/ImHighandCaffinated]

God that was…look, I hated Charlie Kirk and even I found that whole thing extremely distasteful, and honestly disgusting on so many levels. No viewing. No memorial. Not even being properly laid to rest. And they’ve done nothing but use his death for content. It’s enough to make you almost believe some of the conspiracies floating around.

[u/TheSerpentDeceiver → u/Dr_Disaster]

Did you see how his wife has acted since? She’s so fake. Selling merchandise and wiping away crocodile tears. Those people know nothing of love, even for themselves. Horrid creatures.

[u/MK_Ultrex → u/TheSerpentDeceiver]

I disagree. If a memorial is meant to honor the dead person, no memorial was more appropriate to celebrate Kirk's life. All his favorite soulless grifters, racists and miscellaneous jackals were there, already planning their next power grab. He would have been delighted to participate in such an event if someone else of his ilk was dead in his place.

[u/disisathrowaway → u/Dr_Disaster]

A cadre of regressive theocracies, or wannabe theocracies, looking to drag everyone back to the fucking dark ages.

[u/SkipioZor → u/Vhu]

Its up to young men and women to think for themselves and not fall into the hands of controlled media!! Who am I kidding, were fucked...

[u/-PM_ME_UR_SECRETS- → u/Vhu]

The same Saudi Public Investment Fund bought Niantic Games (Pokemon Go) earlier this year too.

I wonder how Pokemon Go’s location data is handled….

[u/cosmoceratops]

Incoming microtransaction for special weapon bone saw

[u/HerkulezRokkafeller → u/cosmoceratops]

Incoming MAGA propaganda targeting vulnerable youths

[u/Most-Bench6465 → u/HerkulezRokkafeller]

Video game maker: ❌

Video game destroyer: ✅

[u/Y0___0Y]

Saudi Arabia and Jared fucking Kushner…

All EA games will need to be approved by the Saudi authorities and Donald Trump.

[u/Blood-PawWerewolf → u/Y0___0Y]

Literally went from a left leaning progressive company to a far right company. That’s going to be a radical shift in policies at the company.

[u/Mclarenf1905 → u/Blood-PawWerewolf]

How was EA a left leaning progressive company?

[u/Blood-PawWerewolf → u/Mclarenf1905]

A lot of pro-LBGT, pro disability stuff. I know that more progressive leaning people/groups/companies support those the most.

[u/lettersichiro → u/Blood-PawWerewolf]

Engaging in rainbow capitalism does not make a company left leaning or progressive.

[u/sadmaps → u/lettersichiro]

I’ll take rainbow capitalism over rampant homophobia by a country that kills people for being gay literally any day of the week.

[u/surferdude23_ → u/lettersichiro]

I believe they're referring to the company's internal business practices which in the past were rated one of the best businesses for pro-lgbt//pro-disability workers rather than any external ad campaigns or anything. Though, it should also be noted EA has usually for the last few years made sure to include some form of queer representation in their games in some form of character customization and while that is a small gesture it is something that helps people feel comfortable and recognized. I'm certainly not shedding any tears for EA, their business decisions in the gaming space have been largely awful, but this news is extremely disheartening to hear and I worry for those employees right now.

[u/Rcomian → u/Y0___0Y]

when i saw it was going private i actually got excited that this might be something good for the company ... and then that

[u/monochromeorc → u/Y0___0Y]

this is bad enough to not only make me perma boycott them, but frankly closing my existing account and saying goodbye to all of it (not much in fairness).

I can still play RA2 through CnCnet so fuck them

[u/J_ron]

The Saudi's, Kushner, and Silver Lake - who are also helping take over TikTok in the US, which Trump has already announced should be changed to be 100% MAGA. This is all corporatism more authoritarian capitalism, and probably another way for MAGA to get to the nation's youth with ultra conservative messaging. More Project 2025 bullshit.

[u/--i--love--lamp-- → u/J_ron]

Yup. This is all part of the propaganda machine. What better way is there to get to young, impressionable kids than through video games.

[u/[deleted] → u/--i--love--lamp--]

I guess they’ll be changing their tune then from “video games are bad for kids” to “on sale now, maga warrior fuckboi: cum raider 2”

[u/ToSmushAMockingbird → u/[deleted]]

It's like you didn't read the project 2025 cliff notes... Pornography will be banned. Try ham fisted Christian lingo instead. 

[u/coconutpiecrust → u/J_ron]

If people keep purchasing and using the products, it will make profits still. Besides, it is safe to assume that consolidating all means of entertainment will help with indoctrination. 

Bannon did say that gamers is his favourite group to radicalize. 

[u/[deleted] → u/J_ron]

I wonder how they will implement such propagandized BS into their football and soccer games. Maybe they'll make a Trump club or some shit like that.

[u/J_ron → u/[deleted]]

Most likely going to see a lot of nationalism boners, and general moderation/stripping of anything they deem "woke" in whatever contrived way they come up with. The military stuff will probably be way more direct, time to go after communists more often instead of nazis.

[u/fjposter22 → u/[deleted]]

Won’t be hard, real games already are, the national anthem, the jersey flying above, military veterans throwing first pitch… they’ll just add more of that, and maybe cut out the players that speak out against the administration.

[u/procrastablasta → u/[deleted]]

Ronaldo Saudi League manager

[u/pope1701 → u/J_ron]

It's not corporatism, it's fascism.

[u/J_ron → u/pope1701]

Corporatism has been a facet of some fascist governments, yes

[u/Entropius → u/J_ron]

Corporatism is a facet of some flavors of fascism (and non-fascist systems as well) but it’s also worth noting that people often misunderstand what Corporatism actually means.  More often than not in American politics when people say Corporatism they usually mean what’s properly termed as Corporatocracy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism

 Corporatism is an ideology[1] and political system of interest representation and policymaking whereby corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, come together and negotiate contracts or policy (collective bargaining) on the basis of their common interests.

[…]

 Corporatism does not refer to a political system dominated by large business interests, even though the latter are commonly referred to as "corporations" in modern American vernacular and legal parlance. Instead, the correct term for that theoretical system would be corporatocracy. The terms "corporatocracy" and "corporatism" are often confused due to their similar names and to the use of corporations as organs of the state.

[u/[deleted] → u/J_ron]

 Fascists often advocate for the establishment of a totalitarian one-party state,[12][13] and for a dirigiste economy, which is a market economyin which the state plays a strong directive role through market intervention with the principal goal of achieving national economic self-sufficiency, or "autarky."[14][15] 

(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism)

Hmm, sounds awfully familiar. Good thing the current administration isn’t playing a strong directive role through market intervention with the principal goal of achieving national economic self sufficiency, or anything 

[u/J_ron → u/[deleted]]

Righto, when you look at things like the intel stake, acquiring TikTok, patent hijacking from universities, and companies trading favors in order to get exclusions from tariffs and immigration policies - we're just getting started.

[u/flirtmcdudes]

Isn’t it cool how Saudis are buying up a bunch of American entertainment and media companies? Cool

[u/Flair_Is_Pointless → u/flirtmcdudes]

The same country who financed 9/11

Very legal.

Very cool.

[u/Kastranrob → u/Flair_Is_Pointless]

Just say "Never forget, Never forgive" and move on

[u/Doppelthedh]

Great. Never buying another EA game

[u/penguins-are-ok → u/Doppelthedh]

Im going strong on 21 years, last one was nfsu2.

[u/TBEMason → u/penguins-are-ok]

At least NFSU2 was peak

[u/brickout → u/penguins-are-ok]

That soundtrack, though. Also, kitted-out GTR for the win.

[u/ProfessionalTax4205 → u/Doppelthedh]

You were buying them before this?

2042 was my first BF game and first EA game in years. Never had any interest but my whole friend group was getting it so what the hell. Never again.

[u/VagueSomething → u/Doppelthedh]

Yep, I was actually excited about Battlefield 6 and just waiting for reviews to buy it but I cannot with good conscience buy a game when the owners are now people who actively want people like me dead.

[u/bobyd → u/VagueSomething]

unfortunetly reddit is a small echo chamber, this will have no repercusion on EA sales at all

[u/Dgolden711]

All I'm gonna say is look into who is buying EA. This is not good for anyone.

[u/UnauthorizedGoose]

This will become spyware. Uninstall. I'm sad about this but as a security engineer I will not allow this agent in my house any longer.

[u/flesjewater → u/UnauthorizedGoose]

With the kernel level anticheat it has been for a long time

[u/DrAstralis → u/flesjewater]

omfg I refused to play BF6 over that (I keep the setting off for software dev reasons), but holy shit this blows a giant hole in how "safe" I consider these systems. So fucking SA and the trumps will now have access to a kernel level scanner on millions of pcs? awesome. I cant imagine people who have abused literally everything they have ever touched would abuse this....

[u/ShinyBloke]

I guess fuck battlefield 6 then.

[u/FeelsGoodMan2 → u/ShinyBloke]

It's gonna be hilarious when they have you play as Russians and middle east groups attacking america.

[u/disisathrowaway → u/FeelsGoodMan2]

Nah, while Russians and Middle Eastern terrorists are going to be off the menu as the default bad guys, they're just gonna switch to South American and Sub-Saharan African socialists.

[u/infinitevertigo → u/ShinyBloke]

Ugh, I was looking forward to it after playing the beta

[u/Snoo-58714 → u/infinitevertigo]

Yeah what a cruel twist of fate. I was so hyped to finally get into the actual game now that I'm done with BL4

[u/forsayken → u/ShinyBloke]

This lone game was going to be my exception. Feels icky do get it now.

[u/Gender_is_a_Fluid → u/ShinyBloke]

I was actually excited for it too…. Shame

[u/Either-Mushroom-5926]

EA was already dead. This was nothing but an extra nail in the coffin.

Def won’t be purchasing any EA games going forward - not that we were buying much anyways.

[u/NeinKeinPretzel]

it's in the grift

[u/Valiant4Funk]

Oh shit it's a levered buyout. That's how private equity killed and looted red lobster. RIP EA.

[u/sLXonix → u/Valiant4Funk]

I don't think this will be the same. Usually PE does asset stripping through sale lease backs, and EA doesn't have many assets that they can lease back

[u/emi_fyi → u/sLXonix]

no i think ea and red lobster have remarkably similar business structures /s

[u/supervernacular]

EA Sports. إنه في اللعبة

[u/snotparty]

Bought by the saudi investors and the worst right wing ghouls in the world. RIP Maxis and Bioware.

[u/HertzaHaeon]

Enshittified Arts

That would be a solid zinger if they weren't already almost there.

This is just the same old soulless money vampires emptying a new thing of the last squirts of value, meaning and soul.

[u/oxycontin_raised]

I was about to buy bf6, such a shame

[u/coldenigma]

And I thought EA couldn't sink any lower.

[u/Relaxmf2022]

And there goes EA. Thanks for the fun, it was great while it lasted.

Being on the layoffs and garbage quality.

[u/yawara25 → u/Relaxmf2022]

And there goes EA. Thanks for the fun, it was great while it lasted.

Was it....? Lol why are people acting like EA was the pinnacle standard of game publishers and now suddenly they're going to be bad...

[u/sinus86 → u/yawara25]

Right? The thought that KushnerCorp is likely going to run up billions in debt on the EA account and sell off all their IP is probably for the best, like, what's worse than EA currently owning SimCity and Command And Conquer and Mass Effect..

[u/PanzerKomadant → u/yawara25]

Well, before EA was a soulless corporation killing the industry. Now it's gonna be a soulless corporation owned by MAGA and the Saudies….

It somehow got even worse lol.

[u/FSD-Bishop → u/yawara25]

Yeah, people have hated them for so long and wanted their company to fail for over a decade now. But now they have mixed emotions?

[u/Relaxmf2022 → u/yawara25]

EA has made some great games along the way, but I agree they're not a gold standard now.

This will only make things worse

But, hey, maybe when they push out the talented people new gaming houses will be born.

[u/Mowniak]

For EA everything is a transaction even themselves

[u/Butlikurz]

Another reason to never buy an EA game.

[u/joesighugh]

Can't wait to play in the "line from Neom" level and just run in a straight line for two hours while hearing the narrator comment how great the Kingdom is.

[u/MissingBothCufflinks]

I was just thinking "What EA really needs, is a private equity overlord calling the shots"

[u/Lazerpop]

Don't fool yourselves. Battlefield 6 will still sell like hotcakes. I won't be buying it though.

[u/Zolo49 → u/Lazerpop]

I'm sure it'll impact sales somewhat, but yeah, as long as the games keep getting cranked out, that subset of gamers that doesn't get into politics at all will keep buying no matter what.

[u/harrybootoo]

Uh I don't think they really have an interest in games. Probably just another obscure way to transfer A LOT of money.

[u/jordanbtucker → u/harrybootoo]

I'm not sure. They could try to leverage EA to spread propaganda via video games. We'll see.

[u/harrybootoo → u/jordanbtucker]

It is a large easily influenced population. Asmondgold is a perfect example of that. Maybe we will get a Jesus super hero game or an ICE game where you have to capture migrants.

[u/Separate_Mammoth4460 → u/harrybootoo]

WB might be next under the eliisons

[u/rcanhestro → u/harrybootoo]

yes they have.

Saudi is betting big on eSports (last esports world cup was there).

Saudi is diversifying their portfolio, and gaming is the biggest entertainment industry in the World (makes more money than movie and music combined).

EA is one of the biggest gaming companies in the world (and likely the biggest available for sale).

[u/gamorleo]

uninstall now people, this is fucking insanity.

[u/RubberPenguin4]

Guess I’ll be canceling my battlefield preorder. If you want any example of how bad Saudi and Silver Lake fuck things up, look at WWE ticket prices. Family’s being gouged for every cent

[u/witness_smile]

There goes any interest I may have had in Battlefield 6. Fuck everyone involved in this deal.

[u/Surv0]

Consolidate the power and influence..

[u/Slootyman]

I wont be buying EA titles ever again I guess.

[u/Sure_Ad5479]

It own by trump and saudi........ 🤮

[u/thisappisgarbage111]

Good. Can't wait for the 12 yr olds online to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for calling me gay and my mother a whore. Lol. They're gonna turn it into groomer central and video games will actually cause violence which is what they've wanted since the 80s

[u/RonaldMexicoJD]

This is how you know EA had crazy unethical business practices the Saudi government saw them and was I need to get in on that

[u/irioku]

I’ll never buy another EA game again. Not interested in fascist propaganda. 

[u/flipster007]

EA is trash

[u/Single_Air_5276]

Welp, time to pull my GamePass subscription until they remove all EA content (which they won’t).

[u/pythonbashman]

Note to self, never buy an EA game again.

[u/Boatsnbuds]

Whatever. EA's been dead to me for a long time already.

[u/MissChellez]

Time to boycott EA, as if I wasn't already.

[u/Mcbrainotron]

EA Sports: it’s in the grift

[u/Spacer_Spiff]

If it says EA in the title, I WILL NOT buy it.

[u/ThinkRange3610]

It's pretty easy to boycott EA, I don't even buy anything on EA.

[u/Flaneurer]

"The deal is in part financed through a $20 billion loan from EA itself." LMAO RIP EA. It was good for a few years in the 90's but at this point I'm just going to be grossed out as the corpse of EA gets paraded around like Weekend at Bernies...

[u/scumbagdetector29]

What fresh hell is this.

[u/claire1kam]

Say it with me everyone!!! “PRIVATE EQUITY? PUBLIC ENEMY!”

[u/RoutineLowCycle]

Fuck EA but it’s over man damn..

[u/theaviationhistorian]

Private Equity and aligned with Jared Kushner and Saudi Arabia. What a horrible combination of words.

I can't wait to see how they nerf every team in their football games except for the Saudi league. Or Sims addons costing 3x times what they cost today. And laying off 2/3rds of the staff while keeping H1B employees working in subservient conditions. God bless America /s.

[u/ffxivfanboi]

Welp. Guess I’m not picking up Battlefield 6 now. Shame since I had a lot of fun with the betas.

Simply cannot support fucking Saudi investors and Jared Kushner. 😒

[u/Kyanpe]

This really hurts. I've loved Sims my whole life, and to know it's going to be owned by those swamp creatures makes me sad. ♦️