Saudi-led group completes $55bn purchase of gaming giant EA

August 5, 2026 - 11:51

The blockbuster acquisition of Electronic Arts is officially complete. A consortium anchored by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has finalized its $55 billion purchase of the major game publisher, taking the company private after months of regulatory review. The deal, which was first floated in late 2024, closed on Tuesday, ending EA's decades-long run as a publicly traded firm.

Under the terms, the consortium will pay $132 per share in cash, a premium that pushed EA's valuation to record highs. The transaction is financed through a mix of equity from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund and roughly $20 billion in new debt, which will now sit on EA's balance sheet. That leverage has raised eyebrows among industry analysts, who note that the publisher's upcoming slate, including the next Battlefield and a new Dragon Age title, will need to perform strongly to service the interest payments.

For gamers, the immediate impact is unclear. EA has confirmed that its major franchises, including The Sims, FIFA's successor EA FC, and Madden NFL, will continue to release on all platforms. However, the company has already signaled a shift toward live-service models and deeper integration with mobile and cloud gaming, areas where the Saudi fund has invested heavily. The consortium has also stated it will keep EA's existing leadership team in place, at least for now.

Critics have pointed to the human rights record of the Saudi government, but the fund has defended the purchase as a straightforward business move. The deal marks the largest-ever acquisition of a Western video game company by a foreign state-backed entity, and it reshapes the competitive landscape, putting EA alongside Activision Blizzard and Take-Two as the industry's top privately held giants. With debt now looming, all eyes turn to the next earnings report.