EA Reportedly Closing in on $50 Billion Deal to Go Private

EA is reportedly nearing a $50 billion deal to go private, potentially marking the largest leveraged buyout in history.

Details on what could be a historic shift for the publisher behind Madden and Battlefield come from a Wall Street Journal report. Its sources indicate that investors include private-equity firm Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Affinity Partners, an investment firm led by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is also reportedly involved.

If the rumored deal is finalized, an official announcement could come as early as Monday. EA’s market value stood at roughly $43 billion before the Wall Street Journal story broke. Since news of a potential move to private ownership emerged, that figure has surged nearly 15% to around $48 billion.

A $50 billion transaction to take EA private would exceed the $31.8 billion buyout of Texas power company TXU in 2007 by about $18 billion. If completed, the EA deal would likely become the largest leveraged buyout of all time (not adjusted for inflation).

PIF’s reported participation in the buyout would further solidify Saudi Arabia’s growing presence in the gaming industry. It currently holds a 10% stake in EA and, in 2022, became one of the largest Nintendo shareholders with 5.01% ownership. Pokémon Go developer Niantic also revealed earlier this year that it had sold its library of games to mobile games publisher Scopely, which is owned by Savvy Games and PIF.

Ubisoft faced criticism after announcing Assassin’s Creed Mirage DLC set in Saudi Arabia last month. The content was announced following a report from French outlet Les Echos, which detailed a potential agreement between the publisher and PIF. Ubisoft employees had also raised concerns about a partnership with the controversial entity, according to GameFile.

Meanwhile, Silver Lake holds a partial stake in the game engine company Unity. If the EA deal proceeds, PIF, Affinity, and Silver Lake would become the new owners as EA transitions to private status.

The publisher’s recent releases include several EA Sports titles, such as EA Sports FC 26 and Madden NFL 26, as well as Skate. Next month, EA developer DICE is set to launch Battlefield 6, a release expected to be a pivotal moment for both the franchise and the company.

IGN has reached out to EA for comment.