A $55 billion company is about to change hands, yet almost nothing will actually change: same CEO, same headquarters building, same slate of games in development. That's the most striking part of Electronic Arts' take-private deal — one of the largest buyouts in history, landing with barely a ripple.
EA has confirmed that the $55 billion merger has received all necessary regulatory approvals and is expected to close on or around August 4, 2026. At that point, EA will delist from Nasdaq and become a privately held company, with shareholders receiving $210 in cash for each share they hold.
The consortium leading the deal says a lot about its scale on its own: Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), private equity giant Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners have joined forces to take the publisher behind franchises like Battlefield 6, The Sims, and Madden NFL completely off the public market.
But beyond the deal paperwork, EA's message is clear: Andrew Wilson will remain CEO, and the company's headquarters will stay in Redwood City, California. In other words, this is a deal happening at the capital structure level — not a shakeup of leadership or creative direction.
Whether EA's product lineup or investment strategy will shift once the deal closes remains to be seen, with more details expected after the transaction is finalized.
