Electronic Arts, the publisher behind Battlefield, Madden NFL, and The Sims, is being taken private in the largest private equity–backed acquisition in history.
A consortium including Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund (PIF), investment firm Affinity Partners, and Silver Lake Partners will buy EA for $55 billion, or $210 per share. The deal eclipses the $32 billion TXU takeover in 2007 and highlights Saudi Arabia’s deepening ties to gaming. Through its Savvy Gaming Group, PIF has already taken stakes in Nintendo, Activision Blizzard, and other publishers, also acquiring esports firms ESL and FACEIT.
For EA, going private ends its 36-year run on the stock market. CEO Andrew Wilson will stay on, and the company will remain based in Redwood City, California. Analysts say the move frees EA to chase long-term growth opportunities without the scrutiny of quarterly earnings — though some argue the $210 price undervalues its pipeline, including the upcoming Battlefield 6.
The deal still requires shareholder approval and a national security review by the U.S. government, but currently, it’s expected to close in early 2027.
