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EA’s Acquisition by Silver Lake, Saudi Arabia’s PIF and Affinity Partners Has Closed

Electronic Arts’ acquisition by PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners closed in August 2026. The announced deal included $210 per share and about $55 billion in enterprise value.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
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Electronic Arts is now privately held following the August 4, 2026 closing of its acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake-affiliated funds and Affinity Partners-affiliated funds. EA’s September 2025 announcement described an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $55 billion in enterprise value, with $210 in cash for each share held by stockholders.

What happened to EA?

EA announced a definitive acquisition agreement on September 29, 2025, and announced that the transaction had closed on August 4, 2026. Stockholders approved it at a special meeting on December 22, 2025, according to EA’s closing announcement. The merger left EA as a wholly owned subsidiary of the acquisition parent, according to the company’s amended Form 10-K.

The consortium consisted of PIF, private investment funds affiliated with Silver Lake, and private investment funds affiliated with Affinity Partners. PIF had been a minority investor in EA for more than five years before closing, EA said. The reviewed disclosures do not establish the consortium members’ final ownership percentages or detailed post-closing governance arrangements.

What were the announced financial terms?

EA’s 2025 transaction announcement put the deal at approximately $55 billion in enterprise value. That figure is the announced value of the transaction, not the cash paid directly to each stockholder. Under the announced terms, stockholders were to receive $210 per share in cash. EA said that amount represented a 25% premium to the unaffected closing price of $168.32 on September 25, 2025. These are figures from the 2025 announcement, not current market measures. See EA’s SEC-filed transaction materials.

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How was the acquisition financed?

EA’s SEC-filed merger materials disclosed a $20 billion debt financing commitment from certain financing sources. PIF, Silver Lake-affiliated funds and Affinity-affiliated funds separately committed equity financing, subject to their commitment letters. The $20 billion figure describes a financing commitment; it does not establish how much debt was ultimately outstanding after closing. The reviewed sources do not state the final debt balance.

Why did lawmakers scrutinize the deal?

In an October 14, 2025 letter to EA CEO Andrew Wilson, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren questioned how EA would preserve editorial and operational independence under what they characterized as Saudi majority ownership. They also raised national-security questions and asked how the company would operate free of government influence. Those were concerns and arguments expressed by the senators before the deal closed, not findings established by the letter or evidence that a specific game had been censored. The letter is available from Senator Blumenthal’s office.

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What does the acquisition mean for EA?

EA develops and distributes games, content and online services for internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers. Its brands include EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, Apex Legends, The Sims, Madden NFL, College Football, Need for Speed, Dragon Age, Titanfall and Plants vs. Zombies. EA reported approximately $7.5 billion in GAAP net revenue for fiscal 2026, according to its closing announcement.

EA Chairman and CEO Andrew Wilson said in the closing announcement: “Together, we’ll invest boldly, accelerate innovation, and build the next generation of games and experiences for the hundreds of millions of players and fans who inspire us every day.” That is the company’s forward-looking statement; it does not establish what changes or investments will follow. The reviewed disclosures do not resolve how editorial control or governance will work in practice after closing.

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