EA insists it will retain its creative freedom under the ownership of a private consortium that includes Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, the latter of which is an investment firm co-founded by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
As clocked by Game File, the company recently published an updated version of an employee FAQ that was initially distributed when the transaction was announced in September.
The revised FAQ includes some interesting additions, including the following statement designed to address whether the publisher’s culture will change as a result of the $55 billion deal:
“EA will maintain creative control and our track record of creative freedom and player-first values will remain intact.”
It’s a snippet that appears designed to address concerns and speculation as to whether the company’s creative output will be influenced by the beliefs and politics of EA’s incoming Saudi owners, who have frequently been criticized by advocacy groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for oppressing women and LGBTQ+ communities and restricting human rights.
Shortly after the deal was announced, Game Developer reached out to EA to confirm whether the company will remain committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and diversity under its new owners. EA has yet to respond.
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In the updated FAQ, however, the Battlefield, EA Sports FC, and The Sims maker said the consortium has chosen to invest in the “creativity that defines EA.”
“Our mission to Inspire The World To Play—and to build for global communities of players and fans—remains unchanged, and our creative freedom and player-first values will remain intact,” reads a new section.
“The Consortium believes in our vision, our leadership and our focus on creating games, stories, and content that reflect a range of experiences and delivering them to our global player community. They’re investing in the creativity that defines EA.”