The European Union has approved the proposed $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, clearing a major regulatory hurdle in one of the largest leveraged buyouts in the gaming industry’s history.
The deal would take the publisher of blockbuster franchises such as FC, Battlefield and The Sims private, ending Electronic Arts’ long run as a publicly traded company. The consortium also includes private equity firm Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the investment vehicle founded by Jared Kushner.
European regulators concluded that the transaction raised no significant competition concerns within the bloc, a finding that removes one of the final obstacles standing between the deal and completion. Clearance in other jurisdictions remains outstanding.
The acquisition represents a landmark expansion of Saudi Arabia’s growing footprint in interactive entertainment. The Public Investment Fund, which manages hundreds of billions of dollars in assets, has steadily built stakes across the gaming sector as part of a broader push to diversify the kingdom’s economy beyond oil and cultivate new revenue streams.
Signs of the deal’s advance have surfaced in corporate filings. Electronic Arts’ chief people officer recently disposed of 1,200 shares, a routine transaction of the kind often seen as companies prepare to transition from public to private ownership.
The take-private arrangement would deliver shareholders a cash payout while allowing the company to pursue longer-term investments away from the pressures of quarterly earnings scrutiny. Analysts have noted that private ownership could give the publisher greater flexibility to fund development of new titles and expand its live-service offerings.
Gaming has emerged as one of the most heavily contested arenas for large-scale deals in recent years, with regulators worldwide taking a closer look at consolidation. Earlier scrutiny of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard underscored how antitrust authorities in different regions can reach divergent conclusions on similar transactions.
For Saudi Arabia, the Electronic Arts deal builds on earlier investments in esports, game publishers and tournament organizers, positioning the fund as a central player in the global entertainment landscape.
With European approval secured, the consortium now turns its attention to remaining regulatory reviews before the transaction can close. The deal is expected to reshape ownership of one of the world’s most recognizable video game publishers if it clears the final steps ahead.