Massive $55 Billion Deal: Electronic Arts Changes Hands!

Tue Oct 21 2025 01:39:57 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Gaming behemoth Electronic Arts (EA) has been acquired for a staggering $55 billion, signaling a pivotal shift in the gaming industry. Find out more about this landmark deal and what it means for the future!

Electronic Arts, a leader in gaming known for franchises like EA FC and The Sims, has secured a buyer with a $55 billion deal, making it the largest leveraged buyout in history. The consortium includes Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and other investors. EA will transition to a private entity, inciting mixed feelings within the game industry about potential changes and debt management as they seek growth.

Electronic Arts (EA), one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, has agreed a deal to sell the company for $55bn (£41bn).

The consortium of buyers include Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners.

EA is known for making and publishing best-selling games such as EA FC, formerly known as FIFA, The Sims and Mass Effect.

It is understood to be the largest leveraged buyout in history - where a significant amount of the purchase is financed by borrowing money.

The deal will take EA private - meaning all of its public shares will be purchased and it will no longer be traded on a stock exchange.

The purchase price puts a significant 25% premium on the market value of EA, valuing it at $210 per share.

It is the second most valuable gaming purchase in history, following Microsoft's $69bn deal to buy Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard.

In the end, the deal was only approved after Microsoft handed the rights to distribute the firm's games on consoles and PCs over the cloud to Assassin's Creed-maker Ubisoft.

EA boss Andrew Wilson will remain in post, mentioning the acquisition as a powerful recognition of the firm's role in gaming.

The firms buying EA will contribute approximately $36bn, with the remaining amount being financed by loans.

Industry expert Christopher Dring noted that this acquisition signals potential challenges such as $20bn of debt that needs to be managed, raising concerns about future game development.

Saudi Arabia's investment strategy has expanded greatly with this move, enhancing its presence in the gaming industry, having already made significant investments in various gaming projects.

As EA is known for titles that have shaped gaming culture over decades, this acquisition marks a new chapter for the company and the gaming landscape.