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EA’s Buyout by PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners: What Happened and What It Means

EA’s buyout closed in August 2026. Here are the consortium members, deal terms and what the gaming-industry ranking does—and doesn’t—mean.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
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Electronic Arts was acquired on August 4, 2026, by a consortium of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. The agreed transaction had an approximately $55 billion enterprise value, with $210 in cash for each EA share. It ranks among gaming’s largest acquisitions; “second biggest” should be understood as a gaming-deal comparison, not a ranking of all corporate takeovers.

Who bought EA?

EA was bought by a three-member consortium: PIF, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, and investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. EA named all three in its September 29, 2025 agreement announcement. The Associated Press describes EA as the publisher behind games including Battlefield and The Sims, and Affinity Partners as run by Jared Kushner.

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So while PIF participated as a Saudi fund, saying that “Saudi Arabia bought EA” on its own leaves out the other consortium members. The cited announcements do not specify how the purchase price was divided among the three buyers.

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Has the buyout closed, and what were the terms?

Yes. EA announced completion on August 4, 2026; the transaction is no longer a proposal. The company’s closing announcement said eligible stockholders would receive $210 in cash for each share held as of closing.

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Figure What it means Source and date
Approximately $55 billion Enterprise value announced for the transaction; it is not the cash payment per share. EA, September 29, 2025
$210 per share Cash consideration for each EA share under the announced terms, reiterated at closing. EA, 2025 and 2026
25% premium The SEC-hosted merger materials compare the $210 offer with EA’s $168.32 closing share price on September 25, 2025, identified there as the last fully unaffected trading day. SEC merger materials, 2025

The enterprise value and per-share amount describe different parts of the deal and should not be substituted for one another. The premium is relative to the specified pre-announcement share price, not a general measure of what every shareholder received after taxes, fees or other individual circumstances. See the SEC-hosted definitive proxy materials for the merger terms.

Is it gaming’s second-biggest acquisition?

The $55 billion headline value puts the deal among the largest public takeovers in the video-game industry. A Q3 2025 Aream & Co. video-game market update supplies context for describing it as the second-biggest gaming deal. That is a sector-specific comparison, not a claim that EA’s acquisition was the world’s second-largest corporate deal.

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EA Sports FC 26
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  • Overhauled gameplay, powered by community feedback. The Authentic Gameplay preset delivers the most true-to-football experience ever in Career, while the Competitive Gameplay preset is tailor-made for play in Football Ultimate Team and Clubs
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Rankings can depend on which transactions are included and whether their values are compared on the same basis. The cited material does not provide enough information to reconstruct a complete, uniform ranking of every candidate deal, so a more exact all-deals comparison would overstate what is established.

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What could the change mean for EA and players?

At closing, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said the company would “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 management’s forward-looking intent, not evidence that a particular game, studio, staffing decision, monetization model or player experience has already changed. The Associated Press closing report quoted the statement as part of its coverage.

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EA SPORTS F1 25 – 2026 Season Edition | EA App Digital Code
  • Digital Download Code: Includes the full EA SPORTS F1 25 game plus the 2026 Season Pack. Redeem your code to access the complete Formula One experience.
  • Complete F1 Experience: Play through the full 2025 season and continue into 2026 with new teams, drivers, cars, and regulations.
  • New Teams & Drivers: Audi and Cadillac join the grid alongside updated line-ups featuring Verstappen, Bottas, Pérez, Lawson, Hadjar, and Lindblad.
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EA also reported approximately $7.5 billion in GAAP net revenue for fiscal 2026 in its closing announcement. That company-reported revenue figure is separate from the acquisition’s enterprise value and, by itself, does not establish what the new ownership will mean for future results.

Best Value
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EA SPORTS College Football 27 - Standard Edition Xbox Series X |Disc I VideoGame
  • Standard Edition for Xbox Series X (disc) includes the full EA SPORTS College Football 27 game. Not compatible with Xbox One.
  • DYNASTY BLUEPRINT – Control your program’s future with recruiting, NIL, staff, facilities, and Athletic Director Expectations..
  • ROAD TO GLORY – Build your player, explore new positions, earn NIL deals, chase the Heisman, and raise your Legacy Score.
  • MASCOT MASHUP – Play as your favorite mascot, collect 120+ icons, and compete in wild 11-on-11 matchups full of school spirit.
Rank #4
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EA Sports Madden NFL 27 - Standard Edition PS5 |Disc I VideoGame
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  • BUILD YOUR LEGACY – Progress through the Superstar G.O.A.T. Career Journey and customize your roster with Ultimate Team Captains.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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