The company will be bought out for a whopping US$55 billion.
Video game company Electronic Arts (EA) is set to be acquired in what could be the largest-ever private equity buyout, with US$55 billion funded by private-equity firms. EA–known for its longstanding influence in video games thanks to game franchises like Madden NFL, The Sims, Need for Speed, Mass Effect, and more–is now set to become privately owned.
EA goes private in historic buyout
In a report by AP News, the stock buyout is headed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), the private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, and Affinity Partners. The deal was announced today, 29 September.
Under the terms of the transaction, the investor group will acquire full ownership of EA, with the Saudi Arabia PIF rolling over its existing 9.9% stakes. Before the deal, the PIF was already the largest insider stakeholder in the company. The PIF had acquired 7.4 million shares valued at US$1.1 billion in February 2021.
Furthermore, the investor group is set to pay EA stockholders US$210 per share in cash, a 25% premium over the company’s unaffected share price of US$168.32 at market close on 25 September, 2025, and a premium over its all-time high of US$179.01 on 14 August, 2025.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, after which EA’s common stock will no longer be available for trade on public common markets–effectively becoming privatised.
Although EA may be transferring ownership, the company will continue under Chairman and CEO Andrew Wilson, and will still be headquartered in Redwood City, California.
In a statement to the official EA website, Wilson celebrated the news and shared his excitement for the future of EA. "We are entering a new era of opportunity," he wrote, “this is one of the largest and most significant investments ever made in the entertainment industry. Our new partners bring deep experience across sports, gaming, and entertainment. They are committed with conviction to EA – they believe in our people, our leadership, and the long-term vision we are now building together.”
“Our mission at EA to — Inspire The World To Play — continues to guide everything we do. Our values and our commitment to players and fans around the world remain unchanged. With continued rigor and operational excellence, we can amplify the creativity of our teams, accelerate innovation, and pursue transformative opportunities that position EA to lead the future of entertainment. Together, we’ll create experiences that are bold, expressive, and deeply connected to inspire generations of players around the world.”
Just this year, EA had laid off at least 300 employees and cancelled its then upcoming Titanfall project due to company-wide restructuring. A year before that, the company had laid off 5% of its total workforce, and announced that it was sunsetting games and moving away from the development of future licenced IP in a bid to keep up with the changing industry.
