EA Sold in Record $55B Deal, Reshaping Gaming Industry
Electronic Arts (EA), the gaming giant behind titles like Madden NFL, Battlefield, and The Sims, has agreed to a $55 billion buyout. The acquisition, set to close in the first quarter of 2027, is led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Affinity Partners, and Silver Lake Partners. This deal could reshape the online games world and surpass the previous record for leveraged buyouts.
Saudi Arabia's PIF, which has been increasing its games investments, is driving this acquisition. It already holds a 9.9% stake in EA and has a minority stake in Nintendo. The fund is drawn to online games' popularity among young people and its tech-forward nature.
The consortium buying EA includes Affinity Partners, led by Jared Kushner, and Silver Lake, a US-based private equity firm. Despite recent layoffs and studio closures at EA, the new owners show no signs of deviating from live-service gaming and microtransaction strategies.
If the privatization goes through, EA's new owners will have the freedom to shape the future of game development and distribution. The online games world watches with anticipation as this record-breaking acquisition could bring wider shifts in the industry.
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