The long-looming buyout of gaming giant Electronic Arts has cleared its final obstacle, with the deal now expected to close next week. EA's buyout was announced last year, with the new majority owner to take the company private being the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Investors alongside the PIF include private equity firms Affinity Partners and Silver Lake, the former of which was founded by Jared Kushner. The deal has proven to be very controversial, prompting petitions to block the acquisition over concerns that it will exacerbate anti-consumer tendencies.
Originally slated to close on June 30, the EA acquisition was held up by pending regulatory approvals, which have now been granted, per Variety. In a document filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Electronic Arts expects the deal to close "on or about the close of trading on August 4, 2026," next Tuesday. EA says that, "As of July 30, 2026, all regulatory approvals required to complete the Merger have been obtained."
One of the last approvals required for the EA buyout was from the European Union's European Commission, which was granted last week, per Game Developer. The PIF will hold a 93.4% stake in...
