EA’s current CEO Andre Wilson will continue to lead the company following the completion of the deal.
Electronic Arts (EA), the company behind leading video games such as FIFA and SIMS has agreed to be acquired for $55bn by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, a private equity firm founded by Jared Kushner.
The deal is touted to be the largest leveraged buyout on record and values the company’s shares at $210 per share. This marks a 25pc premium on EA’s share price of $168.32 per share at market close on 25 September.
PIF had previously held a 9.9pc stake in the company. Moreover, PIF is also an investor in Affinity Partners, which gave the company $2bn in 2021.
The EA deal, which marks the largest acquisition of 2025, is expected to be closed in a year’s time, following which the company will no longer be listed publicly. EA’s current CEO Andrew Wilson will continue to lead the company.
News of the acquisition was leaked late last week, which gave EA stocks a boost of nearly 15pc, valuing the company at $48bn last Friday.
“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,” said CEO and chairperson Wilson.
“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.”
EA’s acquisition comes just a few years after Microsoft purchased rival game maker Activision Blizzard for $69bn.
Microsoft’s acquisition deal drew major antitrust concerns from regulators internationally, who were apprehensive of the possible commercial benefit the tech giant would gain by having exclusive control to make Activision’s hugely successful video games.
“PIF is uniquely positioned in the global gaming and esports sectors, building and supporting ecosystems that connect fans, developers, and IP creators,” said Turqi Alnowaiser, the deputy governor and head of international investments at PIF.
“PIF has demonstrated a strong commitment to these sectors, and this partnership will help further drive EA’s long-term growth, while fuelling innovation within the industry on a global scale.”
PIF is also an investor in Nintendo, Take-Two Interactive as well as Activision Blizzard.
“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,” said Jared Kushner, Affinity Partners’s CEO and US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
In 2023, EA laid of 6pc of its global workforce, estimated to be around 800 jobs, which was followed by the company slashing another 5pc of its employee count in 2024.
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