As many as 46 members of the US House of Representatives from the Democratic Party have called on the Federal Trade Commission to thoroughly review the deal, under which EA is to become a private company with the participation of Saudi Arabia's Sovereign Fund, as well as investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners.
The corresponding open letter was sent to the head of the Federal Trade Commission, Andrew Ferguson. The legislators stated "serious concerns" regarding the possible consequences of the deal for the labor market and competition in the US gaming industry.
The letter emphasizes that the video game industry is experiencing a period of instability and mass layoffs — tens of thousands of specialists have lost their jobs in recent years. EA has also participated in this wave of layoffs, while, according to congressmen, the gap between management and ordinary employees of the company remains huge: EA CEO Andrew Wilson earns 260 times more than the median employee.
A separate concern is the financial structure of the deal. After the buyout, EA, as noted in the letter, will be burdened with debt of approximately $20 billion. According to legislators, this creates incentives for further cost optimization — including new layoffs, offshoring of jobs, restructuring, or closure of studios.