One of the world’s biggest video game developer / publishers, Electronic Arts (EA) is to be made private through an all-cash mega acquisition deal that could reach $55bn USD.
Over recent days, news of the proposed acquisition began to spill over the internet though nothing was official, until now. EA will be acquired by a consortium of organisations which includes the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), as well as investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners – the latter is headed by CEO, Jared Kushner a familiar name in US politics, Trump’s son-in-law.
In a statement, Kushner said: “Electronic Arts is an extraordinary company with a world-class management team and a bold vision for the future. I’ve admired their ability to create iconic, lasting experiences, and as someone who grew up playing their games – and now enjoys them with his kids – I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead,”
There will be no change in the leadership of EA, at least for now as CEO Andrew Wilson will remain at the helm of the company. In his own statement of the deal, Wilson commented: “Our creative and passionate teams at EA have delivered extraordinary experiences for hundreds of millions of fans, built some of the world’s most iconic IP, and created significant value for our business. This moment is a powerful recognition of their remarkable work,”
“Looking ahead, we will continue to push the boundaries of entertainment, sports, and technology, unlocking new opportunities. Together with our partners, we will create transformative experiences to inspire generations to come. I am more energised than ever about the future we are building.”
Financially, EA shareholders will receive $210 USD per share as cash, a premium on its current market share price of $193 USD (credit: Yahoo). The deal is expected to close in Quarter 1, Financial Year 2027.
The Saudi PIF, or sovereign wealth fund, is an incredibly controversial organisation, directly tied to the Saudi Arabian royal family and chaired by Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
The PIF had already owned around 10% of EA since 2023, and has a large number of shares across the video game industry. These include Grand Theft Auto publisher, Take Two Interactive, Embracer and even Japanese publishers / developers, Nintendo and Capcom.
EA have been struggling to make success of their recent big releases and has cancelled exciting projects including a Black Panter game, shutting the studio at the same time.
Meanwhile, Dragon Age: The Veilguard greatly underperformed the company’s sales expectations by nearly 50%.
Next week sees the highly anticipated release of Battlefield 6 which EA has previously stated they hope will see 100m players.
Bad Company 2 inspired BF6 launches with multiplayer, an exciting campaign which we seen just last week, and a battle-royale is in testing and expected to launch within weeks of the game’s 10 October 2025 release.
What does this acquisition mean for EA? Do you believe consolidation is good for the future of the industry? Let us know in the comments below and stick with GSC for more on the EA acquisition.
