The $55bn private acquisition of Electronic Arts is expected to go ahead

Electronic Arts has achieved all required regulatory approvals for its $55 billion private acquisition by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), with the transaction set to close on August 4, 2026. The deal also includes private equity firm Affinity Partners and investment firm Silver Lake.

According to an 8-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission dated July 30, 2026, EA has obtained all regulatory approvals necessary to complete the merger. The company expects the transaction to close on or about the close of trading on August 4, though completion remains subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions outlined in the merger agreement.

The acquisition concludes a leveraged buyout process that took over a year to finalize. The European Commission approved the merger earlier in the week, determining that the transaction would not raise competition concerns given its limited impact on relevant markets.

The deal will take Electronic Arts private, ending its status as a publicly traded company. With regulatory hurdles cleared and closing expected within days, the consortium’s acquisition of one of the gaming industry’s largest publishers is poised to complete imminently.

Sources

• The $55bn private acquisition of Electronic Arts is expected to go ahead
• EA clears US regulatory approvals in take-private deal
• EA acquisition set to close on August 4 following approval from required regulatory bodies
• EA expect their $55 billion sale to Saudi Arabia and private equity firms to close next week, with “all regulatory approvals required” in place
• EA says all regulatory approvals for its Saudi PIF acquisition ‘have been obtained’, deal should be done next week