Following EA's completion of the leveraged buyout, internal tensions remained high. According to Game Developer, although management tried to sell the positive aspects of this change to employees, staff generally fell into suspicion and unease after the deal was finalized.
Citing interviews with EA employees, the report revealed several bizarre episodes from the company-wide meeting in fall 2025. At the time, the leveraged buyout agreement was still under negotiation. During one meeting, an executive accidentally said the words "little babies" while their microphone was on. Although employees couldn't confirm it with certainty, they widely suspected the comment was directed at them.
In another incident, another executive mentioned that they were buying a horse as a gift for their child. As it was the Year of the Horse in China at the time, this remark could be interpreted as a joke.
While these incidents themselves did not constitute violations or malice, they reflected the deepening trust rift within EA. Employees seriously questioned management's sincerity and communication transparency. Meanwhile, this scene reminded many of the "EA Spouse" incident that shook the gaming industry twenty years ago—when an anonymous blogger exposed severe overtime culture and labor disputes within EA, drawing widespread attention across the industry.
As of now, EA has not officially addressed the aforementioned hot topicpublicly responded to the microphone incident and related rumors.