Shams Jorjani, CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios, didn't mince words on the day EA's $55 billion leveraged buyout by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners finally closed: turning one of the industry's broadest catalogs into a "sequel-and-mega-franchise machine" would be "a real waste."

Jorjani highlighted EA's historical range—from Battlefield blockbusters and Mass Effect to smaller titles like Split Fiction, Unravel, and even classics such as SimCity 2000—arguing that business diversity matters as much as creative variety for a healthy industry. He expressed hope the new ownership would preserve that breadth rather than optimize for "safe bet" sequels, noting the deal represents consolidation with no question.

The structure of the deal itself undercuts optimism. EA now carries $18 billion in debt, with plans for $700 million in annual cost cuts—including $170 million in "organizational efficiencies" widely interpreted as mass layoffs. Recent moves like BioWare staff reductions after Dragon Age: The Veilguard and a narrowed focus on core series already signal the direction. Unions had flagged risks of layoffs to service investor returns, and nothing in the post-acquisition reality suggests room for experimental or mid-tier projects.

Jorjani's comments, sent to outlets including Rock Paper Shotgun and Kotaku the day the acquisition closed, land as a quiet industry warning from a studio boss whose own hit benefits from creative independence rather than publisher mandates.