As reported by Reuters this morning, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), along with a group of investors, have acquired EU regulatory approval to complete its $55 million bid to acquire Electronic Arts. In a filing made on Thursday, EA stated it has received all proper approval as of July 30th, 2026, and that the deal should be closed on August 4th, 2026. With that done, Saudi Arabia’s PIF will own 93.4% of EA, aka majority stake.
The last we reported on this deal was in December 2025, when EA shareholders voted in favor of the acquisition. In the months since, the PIF and EA have been obtaining the proper regulatory approvals to complete the deal, which will become the largest ever leveraged buyout in history. Once secure, EA will become a private company again with full control being handed over to the PIF. The remaining 6.6% of EA will be distributed between Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. Affinity Partners is an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald J. Trump.
How does Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of EA affect games?
We’ve previously reported on Saudi Arabia’s PIF and why this buyout is not a good thing for EA. While certain studios at EA have stated this acquisition will not change the content of its games, that remains to be seen. The PIF also owns SNK, which released Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves last year with a playable Cristiano Ronaldo on the roster.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
