Sacred Symbols+, Episode 480 | A Leveraged Electronic Arts Buyout, Saudi-Style
Added 2025-10-01 20:41:11 +0000 UTCIt's me, Colin. Please welcome SS+ regular Rick Hoeg back to the show. For the first time since Microsoft's purchase of Activision, Rick finds himself squarely in his element: Video game M&A. But this new deal has some interesting wrinkles. The target this time around is storied American publisher Electronic Arts, and the buyer is a consortium of financial interests led by none other than Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. Thus, what makes for a straight-forward leveraged buyout (the largest in history, in fact) quickly gets muddied with cultural, social, and political issues galore. Such is life! Let's get into it.
(Please Note: This is the Sacred+ episode for Saturday, October 4th. We are publishing early because of the notability of the topic, and the heavy interest in it.)
Comments
I couldn't give less of a shit whether companies do business with countries that don't align with my morals.
D
2025-10-14 08:26:43 +0000 UTCAlways a pleasure to hear Hoeg!
Glen Yelenovic
2025-10-09 14:19:24 +0000 UTCProjection
Jeece
2025-10-04 06:41:28 +0000 UTCIf it weren’t for AI investment, our market would be in the ground. We’re in a hidden recession. You’re right, there really isn’t any local money to invest right now.
Jay
2025-10-03 15:22:31 +0000 UTCWho would've thought the government being bought and paid for by foreign government, woukd then sell out their own country to those governments.
Jacob Lesperance
2025-10-03 14:00:46 +0000 UTCThe only thing that I would say against Colin’s issue with foreign interests buying up our companies like what just happened is the fact that your everyday American can’t afford an emergency fund let alone be able to own parts of big video game companies let alone any American company.
Miguel
2025-10-03 06:51:23 +0000 UTCYall didn’t mention the most interestingdetails of their plan. They stated EA will use Ai further to improve profit margin, that = firing workers and cutting games to become profit machines.
Yeti ATL
2025-10-02 17:59:52 +0000 UTCI have a problem with a Saudi Arabia based on the cultural mores as well as the increasing volume of evidence of their involvement in the planning and facilitation of the 9/11 Attacks.
king_ryan_james
2025-10-02 15:16:49 +0000 UTCI have EA shares, I'm fucking thrilled with the 25% premium. Battlefield looks promising but Fifa is their real money maker and it's been on the decline.
Your Boi Nicky V
2025-10-02 14:22:09 +0000 UTCOh god another year of speculation and "morality checking" gamers over the Saudi government. We all know the depravity of individuals who don't care who they make business with and the other half that pretends to know business. This all reminds me i should boot up Palworld and give the middle finger to the pokemon company, why couldn't the Saudi prince be into pikachu, but then again I don't really give AF about EA. It sadly kinda makes sense why they would sell out like that.
Frank G.
2025-10-02 12:24:41 +0000 UTClol love seeing the soy boy pro Palestine people getting so mad over this.
Casey Cieslikowski
2025-10-02 12:20:40 +0000 UTC“I’m not saying we should ever tell a country how to run or try to change how it is, unless it’s doing like a Holocaust or something…” *looks at Israel*
Jay
2025-10-02 11:31:05 +0000 UTCContent like this justifies my monthly membership. Thank you, gentlemen.
Guybrush Threepwood
2025-10-02 06:48:54 +0000 UTCTaking such a huge stand on not taking Saudi Money but also consulting for an Israeli company is a little ironic. I know it’s not a 1 to 1 thing buuuut come on dog. Fuck both of those evil places.
Jeece
2025-10-02 02:21:42 +0000 UTCAgreed. A truly depraved government.
Jeece
2025-10-02 02:20:22 +0000 UTCGonna go ahead and say Fuck Israel and everything they stand for. Should be totally abolished. Illegal state.
Cory
2025-10-01 23:47:09 +0000 UTCThank you for the extra episode!!!
Peter Jansen
2025-10-01 21:19:21 +0000 UTCLOVE having it early! Thank you!
Ahee & Patrick
2025-10-01 21:12:18 +0000 UTCI'm not over 9/11. These Saudi "Princes" can eat shit
Phil Spencer Went To Jupiter To Get More Stupider
2025-10-01 21:07:38 +0000 UTCNot extra. Read the post.
Not under NDA
2025-10-01 20:54:51 +0000 UTCAn extra Sacred Symbols+ on a weekday? In this economy?!
Antonio Rodriguez
2025-10-01 20:54:07 +0000 UTCI just dont view this as big of deal when Saudi isn’t the US’s geopolitical rival/foe. Yes they have cultural differences with us, but they’re a regional player in the Middle East and one of the most stable countries in the region. They want to diversify out of Oil. Meh.
DeucesBruh
2025-10-01 20:53:51 +0000 UTCI thought it was a quickly put together episode on the gamepass hike lol
Ryan Guldner
2025-10-01 20:43:23 +0000 UTCTalk about reliable and timely
Logan McDaniel
2025-10-01 20:42:46 +0000 UTC
