The era of Electronic Arts (EA) being a public company is coming to an end, and it will soon be under the control of a new ownership group.
In an SEC filing on Thursday, it was announced that EA has obtained every regulatory approval in order to move forward with it’s sale to a consortium that includes the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. With these approvals in place, the company expects to close the deal on Tuesday, August 4.
“Completion of the Merger remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement,” the filing reads.
Major Changes Approaching After EA Sale
The sale, or “merger as the company puts it, of EA was first announced back in September 2025. The $55 billion deal is the largest leveraged buyout in history. The deal is funded by a $36 billion equity investment and $20 billion in new debt financing.
Upon completion of the acquisition, the PIF will own over 93% of the company. Andrew Wilson will remain on as CEO, and it will stay headquartered in Redwood City, California.
It was originally scheduled to close at the end of the 2026 fiscal year in June, but the company needed to finalize various approvals, leading to the one-month delay.
As mentioned, the company will be taking on $20 billion in new debt upon completion of the sale. Since September, there have been multiple rounds of layoffs. Current employees at studios like BioWare have expressed concern that larger-scale layoffs could come as a result of the transaction.
What do you think of the sale of EA to the PIF finally closing next week? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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