EA Staff Worries Over Saudi Buyout, Grand Theft Auto 6 Leaks, and Other Industry News

Recent reports across the gaming industry have highlighted major shifts, controversies, and updates involving prominent studios and publishers. Among the most notable developments, current employees at Electronic Arts have expressed deep concerns following a seismic $55 billion take-private acquisition. Under the control of Saudi Arabia's sovereign Public Investment Fund and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, staff members have shared feelings of cynicism and doubt regarding the future direction of the company. Some workers worry that creative projects might face strict approval hurdles unless they align directly with Saudi government interests, leading to fears that the major publisher could be used to influence western media narratives.

Meanwhile, Rockstar Games has faced a fresh wave of leaks for Grand Theft Auto 6. Following previous massive leaks in 2022 and early trailer circulations, clips of the highly anticipated title have continued to circulate at an alarming rate, purportedly originating from a playable build where a player shot the word "LEEK" into a wall using bullet holes. These leaks arrive mere weeks ahead of a planned marketing stunt with Netflix, while Rockstar itself has maintained official silence on the matter.

In corporate structural changes, Compulsion Games has officially separated from Microsoft following a management buyout. Previously part of the Xbox Game Studios ecosystem and most recently recognized for South of Midnight, the studio's independence was heavily theorized after Steam database updates shifted game ownership, which was subsequently confirmed by the studio. In other platform developments, Sony-owned Guerrilla Games is reportedly reworking its live-service project, Horizon Hunters Gathering, following negative feedback during playtests earlier in the year, highlighting ongoing challenges within PlayStation's broader live-service strategy.

Additional updates from across the development landscape include Aggro Crab and Landfall releasing the final major content update for their multiplayer game Peak on August 11, introducing a final ascent while deliberately avoiding a live-service framework. Additionally, developers of the upcoming 2026 gacha game Neverness To Everness faced community scrutiny after players spotted a visible Doubao AI watermark on an asset introduced in a recent update, drawing criticism given the studio's previous statements emphasizing human creativity.