In the wake of Saudi Arabia’s leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts for $55 billion, gamers upset by the takeover are planning to protest the publisher’s Redwood, California, headquarters on May 11 in cosplay.
A movement known as the Players Alliance HQ has announced its intent to “raid” EA’s headquarters on May 11 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET. The goal is to denounce Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) buyout of the publisher, with cosplaying gamers planning to unravel a 50-foot scroll of over 70,000 petition signatures on the Madden football field at the center of the campus. There appears to be a whole performance involved in the protest as well, with gamers dressing in suits and top hats portraying the “corporate villains” behind the deal. Further, a giant health bar prop will slowly deplete as supporters digitally engage with the protest, and a loot-box demonstration will reveal a range of prizes like mass layoffs, studio closures, and aggressive monetization.
According to the press release, Players Alliance HQ fears that, should the $55 billion deal go through (which would saddle EA with $20 billion in debt), the company could face pressure to cut jobs, replace employees with AI, and institute price hikes to recoup the losses of the buyout.
“EA, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, is the target of a proposed $55 billion leveraged buyout that would hand 93% ownership to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with the remaining stake split between Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners,” Players Alliance HQ wrote. “The deal would place $20 billion in debt directly onto EA, a common private equity tactic that shifts financial risk onto the acquired company rather than the buyers.”
According to a December 2025 Wall Street Journal report, the private equity firms Affinity Partners and Silver Lake would own 1.1% and 5.5% of EA, respectively, with the PIF owning a majority. As a result, the PIF would have to fund almost the entirety of the deal. However, as we reported in November 2025 based on the New York Times’ findings, the PIF may be facing cash problems.
Still, the deal–which was revealed in September 2025–requires approval from the Federal Trade Commission and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Regardless, it demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s continued interest in the gaming industry, as the PIF owns or has invested in myriad gaming companies, from Capcom to SNK to Nintendo.
A livestream of the protest will take place on DnD and Warhammer Twitch streamer SlayerKase’s channel.
