Well folks, it happened. The European Commission looked at a $55 billion leveraged buyout that will hand Electronic Arts over to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners and basically shrugged. Their official assessment? “Limited impact on competition.” That’s right — the biggest gaming acquisition since Microsoft gobbled up Activision Blizzard passed the EU merger test like it was checking the weather.
For those who’ve been living under a rock — or, honestly, those who’d rather be — the deal would make Saudi Arabia’s PIF the majority owner of the company that makes FIFA, Madden, Apex Legends, and The Sims. You know, the games that generate billions by selling you virtual currency and annual roster updates. So if you were worried about EA finding new and creative ways to drain your wallet, don’t. The new owners have deep pockets and a history of buying things they don’t fully understand.
The EU’s rubber stamp isn’t the finish line though. Forty-six US lawmakers have already penned a letter to the FTC demanding they investigate whether this thing is actually anti-competitive. The concern isn’t just market dominance — it’s what happens to EA workers when their majority owner runs a country where Amnesty International documents arbitrary detentions, migrant worker abuse, and the murder of journalists. Yeah, that kind of deal.
EA employees have been vocal about this from the start. Some have said they’d fight any mandate to reduce diversity efforts “tooth and nail.” Others are just trying to figure out whether their next performance review will be conducted by someone who thinks loot boxes are a cultural exchange program.
Here’s the thing: this isn’t just an EA story. It’s a gaming industry story. When the EU says a deal like this doesn’t raise competition concerns, it sets a precedent. More importantly, it signals that profit trumps ethics in the boardroom, which — surprise! — is exactly what we already knew.
So enjoy your next Madden roster update, I guess. At least until someone figures out how to make Ultimate Team even more exploitative. The bar was already underground, but we’re apparently digging a basement.
Dan Kowalski is a reviewer at SteamGamer.net. He cares about game feel, sound design, and whether a game respects your time. He will forgive a rough framerate if the combat is good. He will not forgive a bad tutorial.
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