Electronic Arts has confirmed it intends to retain full creative control of its franchises even if the company’s reported $55 billion sale involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) moves forward.

The deal, which would take EA private, is being led by a group that includes PIF, investment firm Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, a private equity fund associated with Jared Kushner. If approved, it would be one of the largest acquisitions in gaming history and the biggest buyout ever of a publicly traded entertainment company.

“We Will Maintain Creative Independence”

In a statement sent to staff and later shared with press, EA leadership said that the company’s “creative freedom and player-first values will remain unchanged.” The internal memo went on to reassure employees that no studio closures or leadership changes are planned as part of the transition.

“We will maintain creative control and continue to operate with the same focus, the same leadership teams, and the same creative culture that defines EA today,” the company wrote.

That message seems intended to ease growing concern both inside and outside the company. Since word of the acquisition surfaced, fans and industry analysts have questioned how much influence a Saudi-backed fund might have on the content EA produces, particularly around themes of representation, gender, and political commentary areas that have become more visible in recent years across games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and The Sims.

Developers Are Watching Closely

Internally, EA’s studios have reportedly received the same reassurances that creative direction will remain in their hands. Sources from within BioWare and Respawn Entertainment told journalists that no directives have been issued regarding tone or content in future projects.

Still, developers are cautious. “They say nothing will change,” one veteran designer told GamesBeat, “but we’ve all seen what happens after big mergers. It starts slow, and then the priorities shift.”

For now, EA insists the core of the company won’t change. “Our mission to inspire the world to play will continue exactly as before,” CEO Andrew Wilson said in a prepared statement. “The people making our games today will continue making them tomorrow.”

Whether that promise holds true, only time will tell.