Electronic Arts (EA) is reportedly on the verge of being taken private in an astounding $50 billion deal. The Wall Street Journal indicates that a consortium of investors, prominently featuring Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and private-equity firm Silver Lake, is behind these discussions.
While EA’s current market valuation hovers around $43 billion, sources close to the negotiations suggest the sports simulation powerhouse is being valued closer to $50 billion in these private talks.
Should this deal materialize, it would mark the largest leveraged buyout in history, surpassing the 2007 acquisition of Texas utility company TXU for approximately $32 billion.
Saudi Arabia has been significantly expanding its presence in the gaming sector over recent years. Through its Public Investment Fund, the Saudi government owns mobile developer Scopely, which recently acquired the gaming division of Pokemon Go developer Niantic for $3.5 billion in March 2025. The nation also holds considerable stakes in other industry titans such as Activision Blizzard, Take-Two, Embracer, and Nintendo. Currently, Saudi Arabia maintains a 2.6% stake in EA.
EA is renowned for its highly successful sports franchises, including FIFA, Madden, and NBA. The publisher’s latest major release, Skate, a newly revamped free-to-play skateboarding simulation, is scheduled to launch its first official season on October 7.
This story will be updated as more details become available.