In December 2025, a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund approved a $55 billion sale to take what gaming company private?

In December 2025, Electronic Arts, the renowned video game developer and publisher, became the subject of a monumental acquisition. A consortium spearheaded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, alongside investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, secured shareholder approval for a $55 billion deal to take the gaming giant private. This landmark transaction marked a significant moment in the gaming industry, transitioning one of its most prominent companies from public to private ownership.

Electronic Arts is a powerhouse in the interactive entertainment world, known for its extensive portfolio of popular franchises such as EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA), Madden NFL, The Sims, and Apex Legends. The decision to take the company private means that its shares are no longer traded on a public stock exchange, allowing the new ownership consortium to operate with potentially greater flexibility and focus on long-term strategies without the immediate pressures of quarterly earnings reports.

This acquisition aligns with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund's ambitious "Vision 2030" initiative, which aims to diversify the Kingdom's economy away from oil dependence by investing heavily in various sectors, including technology, entertainment, and particularly, gaming. The PIF has been aggressively expanding its footprint in the global gaming market, making substantial investments in numerous major gaming companies and establishing its own gaming and esports (Deals) entity, Savvy Games Group. The $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts represents one of the largest take-private deals in gaming history, further solidifying the PIF's strategic commitment to becoming a dominant force in the rapidly growing global gaming and esports landscape.