Before Electronic arts goes private following a groundbreaking sale, some U.S. lawmakers are arguing for some federal oversight. Democratic members of the United States Congress, as part of the Congressional Labor Caucuswrote a letter asking the Federal Trade Commission to “thoroughly review” the $55 billion acquisition of EA.
EA confirmed the sale to the Public Investment Fund, or Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, in September, but the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027. Before the official change in ownership, the 46 House Democrats who signed the letter to the FTC are calling for further review of the transaction’s impacts.
The letter outlined some of the most far-reaching effects, including the worsening of an unstable sector, the risk of more layoffs and an increase market dominance for EA. “We respectfully urge the Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the labor market consequences of this proposed acquisition, including EA’s current wage-setting power, the likelihood of post-transaction layoffs, the degree of labor market concentration in the affected geographic and occupational markets, and the role of cross-ownership in shaping labor outcomes,” the letter reads.
The letter has already received support from the Communications Workers of America union, which also supported a union petition United video games union. As spotted by Eurogamerthe petition calls on regulators and elected officials to “examine this agreement and ensure that any path forward protects jobs and preserves creative freedom.”
