"Electronic Arts just announced that it is going to be acquired and taken private in a massive $55 billion deal led by an investor group composed of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The deal, expected to close in Q1 of EA's 2027 fiscal year (which takes place from April 1st to June 30th, 2026), isn't just a huge amount of money involving one of gaming's largest publishers;"
"The deal itself, a leveraged buyout, consists of about $36 billion in cash from Silver Lake, Affinity Partners, and PIF (which is rolling over its 9.9 percent equity stake it already has in EA), while JPMorgan Chase Bank will provide $20 billion of debt financing ("$18 billion of which is expected to be funded at close," according to EA's press release). That means that the newly private company will have to do a lot to justify the massive price tag."
Electronic Arts will be acquired and taken private in a $55 billion leveraged buyout led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The transaction includes about $36 billion in cash from the investors and $20 billion of debt financing from JPMorgan Chase Bank, with roughly $18 billion expected to be funded at close. PIF is rolling over its existing 9.9 percent equity stake in EA. The deal is expected to close in Q1 of EA's 2027 fiscal year (April 1–June 30, 2026). The leveraged structure will increase debt, pressure cost cuts, reduce risk-taking, and could shift investment decisions, game types, and staffing across studios.
Read at The Verge
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