Protesters ‘raid’ EA to oppose Saudi Arabia acquisition
The gaming community expressed significant opposition to a proposed Saudi Arabia-led acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA), one of the world’s largest video game publishers. A group called Players Alliance organized a protest at EA’s headquarters to demonstrate community concerns about the takeover.
The protest took the form of a “raid”—metaphorically referencing a coordinated effort by players teaming up to confront a challenging opponent in MMO games. Members of Players Alliance gathered at EA’s Madden field, located at the center of the company’s campus, in an effort to highlight public opposition to the acquisition.
Notably, the petition supporting the protest garnered over 70,000 signatures, indicating substantial community concern about the proposed deal. The activists’ primary objective was to deliver this petition directly to EA’s leadership as a symbolic gesture of widespread player and fan opposition.
However, the delivery attempt was unsuccessful. EA’s security team blocked the protesters’ access, preventing them from presenting the petition directly to company leadership. The company had anticipated the protest and placed barricades around the Madden field, along with a sign indicating the area was closed for a “private function.”
This incident reflects broader concerns within the gaming industry about foreign corporate ownership and investment in major publishing houses. The large number of petition signatures demonstrates that many in the gaming community have reservations about the proposed Saudi Arabian ownership of one of the industry’s most influential publishers.