Electronic Arts Unveils New Plans to go Private with Help of Private Investment Firms

Image: https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/fifa-23-will-ea-sports-release-new-football-game-2022/bltd290751e263e0de2

Electronic Arts (EA), has made some noise in the video game sector with their announcement of a deal to take the company private. This deal is being made with a group of investors including Affinity Partners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and the private-equity firm Silver Lake. This deal has the potential to be the largest leveraged buyout of all time, with an  upwards of 50 billion dollars, surpassing the 45 billion dollar LBO of TXU by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co., back in 2007.

EA’s decision to go private is being viewed as a speculative decision to “get out” while the trends have been positive. Electronic Arts wants to make this deal official with hopes to restructure their timeline toward more focus on long-term strategies and investment opportunities - straying away from the scrutiny that comes with short-term financial goals. The CEO of EA, Andrew Wilson, expects to remain in his position and Silver Lake plans to take more of a focus on expanding its international outreach.

Electronic Arts shares will be paid out at  $210 a share to the shareholders of the company. This opportunity has the potential to be very promising for EA sports and investors will be watching closely to see the future of the company in order to gauge other video game companies in the same sector. Jared Kushner, Affinity CEO, speaks about the bold visions that the investment firms have with Electronic Arts.

“I’ve admired their ​ability to create iconic, lasting experiences, ​and ​as ​someone​who ​grew up playing their ​games​ - and now enjoys them with his ​kids - I couldn’t be ​more ​excited about ​what’s ​ahead,” Kushner said in a statement.

EA’s decision to go private marks more than just a shift in ownership, it signals a turning point for the gaming industry as a whole. By stepping away from the pressures of Wall Street, the company is betting that long-term vision and global expansion will outweigh short-term scrutiny. Whether this bold move pays off will be closely watched, not only by investors but by competitors across the video game sector.

Sources:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-29/electronic-arts-surpasses-txu-as-biggest-lbo-of-all-time?embedded-checkout=true 

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/29/ea-shareholders-will-get-210-per-share-in-deal-to-take-company-private.html

https://www.wsj.com/business/deals/ea-private-deal-buyout-video-game-maker-808aefec?

https://www.wsj.com/business/media/why-ea-is-ready-to-quit-wall-streets-game-2261d5c7?mod=business_lead_pos1