EA lays off yet another wave of staff in the run up to sale to Saudi Arabia
EA has announced its third round of layoffs this year, affecting an unspecified number of employees across multiple departments including recruitment, customer support, trust and safety, and IT teams. The cuts come as the publisher prepares for a $55 billion acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which is slated to acquire a 93.4% stake in the company.
The layoffs were first reported by Kotaku, citing unnamed sources within the company, and have been partially confirmed by social media posts from affected employees announcing their departures. Impacted staff include both remote workers based in the United States and internationally.
The timing of these cuts appears strategically connected to the pending acquisition and EA’s significant debt burden of approximately $20 billion. Industry observers suggest the layoffs may be part of broader restructuring efforts to streamline operations and improve the company’s financial position ahead of the sale completion.
These cuts are part of a larger wave of industry contraction, with other major publishers and developers implementing significant workforce reductions. Microsoft is reportedly considering shuttering multiple studios, and executives at other major publishers have warned of challenging conditions in the AAA gaming market.