r/masseffect • u/Rondine1990 • Aug 05 '26

NEWS Its official, Saudi-led group bought EA...

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/aug/05/video-game-maker-ea-bought-by-saudi-led-group

I honestly fear for the open-minded future of our franchise. Mass Effect was a big part of my life, and I loved that it tackled topics that might be controversial in its own way. It was never in your face, but subtle enough to be believable... especially with the choice of a badass female Shepard.

Let's hope they don't meddle too much, too quickly...

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u/SilverBudget1172 Aug 05 '26

If I remember correctly, Saudi Arabia is using oil revenues to maintain the country's income level through investment portfolios, specifically in entertainment. They want Saudi Arabia to be a hub for sports, leisure, and esports. They bought EA for the sports licenses; judging by their behavior, they don't care as long as it generates profit. It's main focus in the industry is on anything related to sports or competitive gaming.

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u/[deleted] Aug 05 '26

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u/mrmgl Aug 05 '26

Do you think that EA will last more than oil?

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u/JaccoW Aug 05 '26

You can tell a lot of the big oil producing countries were seeing the signs on the wall that oil as the main cashcow to move the world might be ending sooner than their wells.

It wont be useless, there are still a lot of products we use daily that are oil derivatives, but if (the price of) renewables, battery tech and electric engines keep going the way they are, the majority of the world won't need petrol and diesel to commute in the not so distant future.