EA to Go Private in $55 Billion Deal by Investors Including Saudi Arabia and Jared Kushner - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 29 September 2025 / 4,358 Views
Electronic Arts (EA) announced it is being acquired and taken private in a $55 billion deal by an investor consortium that includes Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, which is founded and led by Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027 and needs approval by regulators and EA stockholders.
This is an all-cash transaction that will see the by an investor consortium acquire 100 percent of EA, while PIF will roll over its current 9.9 percent stake in the company. EA stockholders will receive $210 per share in cash, which represents a 25 percent premium to EA's unaffected share price of $168.32 at market close on September 25, 2025.
The equity investment will be approximately $36 billion by the PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The deal also include $20 billion in debt, which will be financed fully by JPMorgan Chase Bank, $18 billion of which is expected to be funded when the deal closes.
If the deal closes EA will remain based in Redwood City, California and Andrew Wilson will continue to be CEO.
"Our creative and passionate teams at EA have delivered extraordinary experiences for hundreds of millions of fans, built some of the world’s most iconic IP, and created significant value for our business. This moment is a powerful recognition of their remarkable work,” said EA CEO Andrew Wilson.
"Looking ahead, we will continue to push the boundaries of entertainment, sports, and technology, unlocking new opportunities. Together with our partners, we will create transformative experiences to inspire generations to come. I am more energized than ever about the future we are building."
PIF Deputy Governor and Head of International Investments Turqi Alnowaiser added, "PIF is uniquely positioned in the global gaming and esports sectors, building and supporting ecosystems that connect fans, developers, and IP creators. PIF has demonstrated a strong commitment to these sectors, and this partnership will help further drive EA’s long-term growth, while fueling innovation within the industry on a global scale."
Silver Lake Co-CEO and Managing Partner Egon Durban stated, "This investment embodies Silver Lake’s mission to partner with exceptional management teams at the highest quality companies. EA is a special company: a global leader in interactive entertainment, anchored by its premier sports franchise, with accelerating revenue growth and strong and scaling free cash flow. We are honored to invest and partner with Andrew – an extraordinary CEO who has doubled revenue, nearly tripled EBITDA, and driven a fivefold increase in market cap during his tenure.
The future for EA is bright, we are going to invest heavily to grow the business and we are excited to support Andrew and the EA team as the company accelerates innovation, expands its reach worldwide, and continues to deliver incredible experiences to players and fans across generations."
Affinity Partners CEO Jared Kushner added, "Electronic Arts is an extraordinary company with a world-class management team and a bold vision for the future. I've admired their ability to create iconic, lasting experiences, and as someone who grew up playing their games - and now enjoys them with his kids - I couldn't be more excited about what's ahead."
Lead Independent Director of EA’s Board of Directors Luis A. Ubiñas stated, "The Board carefully evaluated this opportunity and concluded it delivers compelling value for stockholders and is in the best interests of all stakeholders. We are pleased that this transaction delivers immediate and certain cash value to our stockholders while strengthening EA’s ability to continue building the communities and experiences that define the future of entertainment."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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Honestly... Could be a good thing...
EA currently puts their stock price as their number one priority.
Having far fewer owners and new management could actually lead to quality games again.
Maybe a Dead Space 2 remake...
I foresees the opposite, EA will basically become a FC/Madden/Battlefield factory., the way ABK is a Call of Duty/Diablo factory. The first priority for them will be servicing that $20bn debt they are being saddled with. If you thought the board of directors was profit driven, that’s nothing compared to private equity.
Well, but at least you can meet with a few people and try to make them see your way. You can't do that with shareholders.
But... isn't that what they're becoming already? lol
I'm not saying it WILL be better, just that there's actually a chance now
With this group and under these circumstances... no.
Enough with the remakes!!
Ehhh DeadSpace is different
DS3 killed the franchise going full action based
DS Remake leaned further into horror so continuing the remakes could give the opportunity to fix DS3 and even continue with new games
Or they could just sell the IP to Capcom/Sony/MS... or anyone willing to actually do something with it
Agreed. When I see a remake, it's as if it doesn't exist. I have the originals. I can play them. I want new games. Give me something new. Give me something fresh. Stop being creatively bankrupt.
That bad
The worst deal in gaming.
Microsoft buying ABK.
Honestly…what is so bad about Microsoft acquiring ABK? Lots of layoffs, sure, but at least there is a chance that we’ll see a new Crash and/or Spyro. Plus, recent CoD games have seen a bump in quality, alongside better affordability on Xbox.
Maybe I’m just not seeing something. The merging of two mega corporation is an obvious negative.
Not even close.
MS buying Activision, is far worst.
This can lead to better games, for MS Activision is just Gamepass sub generator and nothing else
Sony buying Bungie is looking pretty crap too.
And it didn't really move the Gamepass needle that much anyways.
Looking past the corporate PR statements all the cash generated by Madde, EA Sports FC, Battlefield etc is going to go to servicing the $20 billion debt pile.
There’s also almost certainly going to be a bunch of layoffs and studio closures to cut costs. I highly doubt the stated ‘investment’ will actually happen.
That's the part people are missing. This is a leveraged buyout. The buyers used EA as collateral meaning all debt goes to EA. What does that mean? If that debt isn't paid back EA is either liquidated or the bank takes over the company.
Perhaps the bank is interested in developing quality digital entertainment
I see nothing but potential upside for gamers here. EA stopped experimenting with new stuff a long time ago. A private company, especially one controlled by the PIF, with their extremely long-time horizon, is much more likely to be willing to take risks.
That doesn't mean they're going to become a more interesting company. But they might. And I don't think there's any hope for that if they remain on their current trajectory as a public company.
Yikes... Hopefully Respawn finishes and releases the third Jedi game so I never have to buy something from EA ever again
I've got a new video discussing the acquisition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bax7ulEFJdY
EA is about to get even worse. Don't believe me? Look at how Saudi Arabia fucked up Fatal Fury: City of Wolves. stabs Ronaldo
AS LONG AS they release a new version of One-on-One: Dr J vs. Larry Bird. Then I am happy.
If they could revive SSX3 for PS5, that'd be great. If not, IDGAF about that cuz nothing else from EA gets my interest.
