Activists are unhappy that they were not invited to negotiations on the deal.
Employees of Electronic Arts and members of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) union have published a joint statement expressing concern about the acquisition and privatization of the company. According to union activists, they were not properly represented in the sale negotiations, and they also fear mass layoffs after the deal is completed.
The statement emphasizes that this $55 billion deal will only "increase the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a few big shots", without solving the problems of players and workers.
Every time private equity or billionaire investors take a studio private, workers lose visibility, transparency, and influence. Decisions that determine our work, art, and future are made behind closed doors by executives who haven't written a line of code, created worlds, or supported game services. Yet we, the very people who will be threatened by this deal, were not represented at all in the buyout negotiations or discussions.
Activists warn that any future layoffs will not be a forced measure, but a conscious choice of the new managers, "stuffing their pockets".
