US Lawmakers Urge FTC to Scrutinize $55 Billion Electronic Arts Acquisition Deal

A group of American lawmakers has urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a thorough review of the $55 billion acquisition deal for Electronic Arts. The consortium leading the purchase is headed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).

A letter addressed to the head of the FTC, **Andrew Ferguson**, was sent by U.S. representatives, with signatures from 46 Democrats in the House of Representatives. The Communication Workers of America union, which represents a majority of labor organizations in the American gaming industry, has also shown its support for the initiative.

Lawmakers have expressed concerns regarding the potential impacts of the deal on employees. They note that the acquisition is partly financed through at least $20 billion in debt, which they believe could incentivize cost-cutting measures such as layoffs, offshoring jobs, restructuring, and studio closures. They also pointed out that **EA** has laid off over 1,700 workers in the United States since the beginning of 2023.

The authors of the letter also reference the FTC’s guidelines on mergers from 2023, which state that agreements that suppress wages, reduce labor demand, or enable dominant firms to disadvantage workers could violate antitrust laws.