Earlier this week, on August 4, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) officially completed its $55 billion acquisition of renowned game publisher EA, and the company’s shares were subsequently delisted, making it a fully privatized entity.
Originally established in 1982 and publicly listed in 1989, EA has released numerous beloved titles over the past 37 years, but has also frequently sparked controversy among players due to certain business decisions. Then in 2025, EA officially announced its impending sale, marking another major restructuring in the gaming industry in recent years.
As previously reported, the EA acquisition was formally completed on August 4th, and since then, this globally renowned major game publisher has been 100% owned by “The Consortium,” an investment alliance formed by PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners.
This $55 billion acquisition plan sets a new record for the largest leveraged buyout in history, and $20 billion of this funding will be added to EA’s overall debt. As the company is formally delisted, all shareholders holding EA common stock at the time of the acquisition’s completion will receive cash compensation of $210 per share.
Furthermore, multiple related parties involved in this acquisition have also issued statements in succession, first highly praising EA’s achievements and expressing hopes that the company will focus on long-term growth and continued innovation, while also stating that they will use AI technology to “improve game development efficiency and player experience.”
Although the acquisition has now been completed, the past year has not been entirely smooth. Many players of EA’s games have also expressed concerns that under the new ownership, the direction of some well-known game franchises may undergo major changes. For example, the publisher’s iconic life simulation game The Sims has long been known for its “diversity and inclusion,” but players believe that under PIF’s control, some values may be presented differently. However, EA has continuously emphasized during this period that the creative direction of its games will not be affected.
In addition to players, the acquisition also faced opposition from some American political figures. For example, the U.S. Democratic Party called on the chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to review the deal, and U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost also went live with former EA content creator Lilsimsie to publicly express opposition to the acquisition plan. Additionally, some players chose to hold protests outside EA’s headquarters. However, these opposition efforts ultimately brought no change, and the acquisition was completed smoothly.
Source: KOCPC Chinese