EA Is Now Privately Owned in a $55 Billion Saudi-Backed Deal

Electronic Arts, the publisher behind Madden, Apex Legends, The Sims and Battlefield, is no longer publicly traded. The company has been acquired in an all-cash transaction valued at $55 billion by a consortium comprising Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners and Silver Lake. EA announced the deal’s completion on Tuesday.

The transaction moved forward after EA filed a document with the US Securities and Exchange Commission confirming that all required regulatory approvals had been secured by 30 July 2026. The filing said the merger was expected to close around the end of trading on 4 August, while the European Commission approved it on 23 July.

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Who bought Electronic Arts?

Silver Lake is a technology-focused investment firm with offices in New York City and Menlo Park, California. Founded in 1999, it reported $102 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of 31 December 2025, placing it among the 25 largest private-equity firms by that measure.

Affinity Partners was established in 2021 by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law. The American firm held $5.4 billion in AUM in 2025 and is funded overwhelmingly by Saudi Arabia’s PIF. Its relationship with Middle Eastern governments, including Kushner’s dealings while serving as an envoy during the second Trump administration, has prompted controversy and government inquiries.

The PIF is Saudi Arabia’s state-owned sovereign wealth fund. Created in 1971, it is overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler. According to the PIF’s website, the fund manages $900 billion in assets.

Why is the PIF investing in EA?

The PIF has expanded its presence in games in recent years. It holds a 97% stake in SNK, along with minority interests in Activision Blizzard, Capcom, Embracer Group, Nintendo and Take-Two. It also owns Savvy Game Group, which acquired Scopely. Scopely previously purchased Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now.

The fund says games investment will help diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy beyond its historic reliance on oil exports. Critics, however, describe the wider investment programme as sportswashing: using sport and entertainment to improve the country’s international image while attention remains focused on human-rights concerns. Those concerns include exploitation of migrant laborers, anti-LGBTQ laws and the suppression of political opponents, including the alleged murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

What changes for EA?

EA has said the new ownership group will allow it to retain creative control and continue its record of creative freedom and player-first values. In an FAQ, the company wrote in an FAQ that the consortium backed its leadership, teams and vision for the future of entertainment.

Chief executive Andrew Wilson, who earned $38 million in the previous year, partly following the success of Battlefield 6 while the company laid off developers working on the game, said EA’s values and commitment to players and fans would remain unchanged.

Some employees remain unconvinced. An anonymous EA worker told Game File that the deal sent a hostile message to women and LGBTQ employees. There are also concerns that Saudi Arabia’s conservative politics could affect EA’s games, particularly The Sims, a series known for allowing same-sex relationships.

There is a precedent for questions about investor influence. PIF-owned SNK’s Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves includes footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and DJ Salvatore Ganacci as guest characters. Neither is connected to the established fighting-game series, although Ronaldo played in a PIF-funded league and Ganacci has performed at Saudi festivals and events.

It remains unclear whether or how the PIF will shape EA’s creative decisions. The fund has also shown itself to be a mercurial investor in entertainment, recently reducing funding for its LIV Golf tour and selling one of its football teams.

EA will now operate as a private company rather than answering to public shareholders. That may change how the publisher reports performance and makes long-term decisions, but the impact on its games, studios and workplace culture will take time to assess. For players interested in bringing digital and classic gaming into the home, RETROCADE’s arcade machines and arcade-machine buying guide offer a separate look at dedicated gaming hardware.