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Popular gaming publisher Electronic Arts (EA) is about to be purchased by a group of buyers, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). It is likely to be the largest leveraged buyout in history.
The $55 billion USD purchase of gaming giant EA has reportedly been finalised.
The company will now be under new ownership, spearheaded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Affinity Partners, an American investment firm led by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, is also included as one of the buyers.
EA will be taken private, meaning its publicly traded shares can no longer be traded on the stock exchange.
We first covered this story when the purchase was announced in late 2025, and noted that many industry commentators were concerned about the potential ramifications, including layoffs, a reliance on franchises and sequels, and the gutting of smaller sections at different studios.
There has also been worry over future inclusivity and LGBTQ+ representation in EA’s flagship games, such as The Sims.
Saudi Arabia punishes same-sex relations extremely harshly, serving out death penalties in some cases. Advocacy group Players Alliance HQ encouraged players to contact their local politicians in protest as part of its ‘Block The Deal’ campaign.
As the BBC notes, speculation as to why exactly Saudi Arabia is so keen on EA has been rife. The company is one of gaming’s biggest publishers, earning $7.5 billion USD in revenue last year alone. EA is a valuable asset that is influential across several different industries, including sports alongside gaming.
This will be a significant draw for Saudi Arabia. It has made clear steps to broaden its global influence through football and esports in the last decade, having purchased Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021 for £300 million. The EA acquisition will no doubt be a factor in its future plans.
