Video game giant Electronic Arts (EA), the studio behind titles like Madden NFL, Battlefield and The Sims, is set to be acquired for $52.5 billion in what would be the largest-ever private equity buyout.
The deal is being led by Silver Lake Partners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and Affinity Partners, the investment firm headed by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Shareholders will receive $210 per share. Including debt, the transaction is valued at about $55 billion—well above the previous record set by the $32 billion takeover of Texas utility TXU in 2007.
PIF, already EA’s biggest insider shareholder with a 9.9% stake, will roll its investment into the deal. Analysts note the move aligns with PIF’s strategy to expand its gaming arm, Savvy Gaming Group, which has already bought companies such as ESL, FACEIT and Scopely.
If approved, the deal will end EA’s 36 years as a publicly traded company. Founded in 1982 by former Apple employee William “Trip” Hawkins, EA went public in 1989 with its stock debuting at a split-adjusted 52 cents.
EA CEO Andrew Wilson, who has led the company since 2013, will stay in his role. Headquarters will remain in Redwood City, California.
The buyout comes as global competition in gaming intensifies. Microsoft acquired rival Activision Blizzard for nearly $69 billion in 2023, while mobile game makers such as Epic Games continue to challenge traditional publishers.
For now, the deal cements EA as the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s biggest gaming bet yet—and the largest private equity buyout in history.
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Central Asian leaders have warned that worsening water shortages now pose a direct threat to regional stability, urging coordinated action and stronger international engagement.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
Georgia has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), formally taking over on 22 April in Vienna and placing it at the centre of key security discussions at a time of rising geopolitical tension and declining trust between states.
U.S. Senate Republicans voted early on Thursday to advance a $70 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for three years.
Pakistan is confident it can bring Iran to talks with the United States, a senior official said, citing “positive signals” from Tehran, as JD Vance is reportedly set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks, according to Axios.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
A gunman who killed seven people in a mass shooting in Kyiv on Saturday (18 April) had quarrelled with his neighbour before he opened fire on passersby, public broadcaster Suspilne cited Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying on Tuesday.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
Lufthansa will cut around 20,000 short-haul flights from its summer schedule as it moves to address sharply rising fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict.
U.S. Senate Republicans voted early on Thursday to advance a $70 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for three years.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
Pope Leo urged young people and families to embrace reconciliation and lead with dignity as he spoke at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea on the final day of his Africa tour.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 23rd of April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
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