In response to a planned sale that could see Electronic Arts (EA) sold to a group that includes the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), gamers are preparing to “raid” EA’s headquarters in Redwood City, California, to denounce the deal and demand a stop to the sale.
The Players Alliance is organizing this event, scheduled for May 11 at 1:00 p.m. ET, and has provided further details on its purpose.
Gamers Raid EA HQ to Denounce $55 Billion Saudi Buyout
In a press release announcing the gathering, The Players Alliance discussed how the proposed deal “which gamers say would pressure the company to cut jobs, replace developers with AI, and impose price hikes through more aggressive monetization.” The event will also be live-streamed on SlayerKase’s Twitch stream.
“Gamers in cosplay as video game characters will ‘raid’ EA’s Redwood City campus, unrolling a 50-foot scroll bearing more than 70,000 petition signatures on the Madden football field at the center of the campus. Gamers playing the role of the corporate villains behind the deal will appear in suits and top hats, accompanied by a giant health bar prop that depletes as supporters engage digitally. The Players Alliance will also stage a loot box demonstration, opening oversized gold crates painted with EA’s logo to reveal the consequences of the buyout, including mass layoffs, studio closures, and aggressive monetization,” the release from Players Alliance says.
Electronic Arts has stated previously that it would maintain creative freedom over its titles with its player-first values remaining intact. However, A group of over three dozen US lawmakers wants the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to look further into the sale of EA to the Saudi Arabian PIF. Learn more about that at this link.
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