PIF, Silver Lake, And Affinity Partners Complete $55m Acquisition Of EA
Electronic Arts has announced a consortium consisting of PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, has completed a full acquisition of the business. The deal is worth $55m and will see EA’s common stock delisted from NASDAQ and return to private ownership.
The Consortium
The deal was first announced in September 2025, but has faced backlash from lawmakers, as well as gamers. In an official statement announcing the deal, Silver Lake’s CEO and Managing Partner, Egon Durban, highlighted his excitement at the growth of AI, which may further alienate EA’s loyal player base.
Durban said: “We’re proud to join with PIF and Affinity Partners to invest heavily in EA’s growth, including what AI can do to enhance game development and player experience, and excited to partner with Andrew and the EA team as they raise the bar for fans everywhere.”
The deal will see EA take on an additional $20bn of debt and has become the largest leveraged acquisition deal in history. It comes at a challenging time for the gaming industry. 10,000 workers have been made redundant in 2026 alone. Despite the industry challenges, EA reported revenue of nearly $8bn in the 12 months ending June 30, 2026.
PIF has history in gaming, specifically in esports. The organisation, which made headlines for funding and then withdrawing funding from the breakaway LIV Golf tournament, is a major funding source for the Esports World Cup, which is currently under way in Paris.
Deputy Governor and Head of International Investments at PIF, Turqi Alnowaiser, said: “Entertainment and sports are key areas of strategic focus for PIF, and are among the fastest growing and evolving sectors around the world.
“Together, the Consortium is uniquely positioned to be a long-term partner to EA’s management team in driving sustained growth and innovation for EA and the industry.”
The Deal
The terms of the deal mean that the consortium, consisting of PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, will pay $55m for 100% of EA.
EA will be delisted and the company will go private. Stockholders will receive $210 per share, which represents a 25% premium compared to the stock’s $168.32 price on September 25.
EA will continue to be headquartered in Redwood City, California, and Andrew Wilson will continue as CEO. The deal, which is still subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed in Q1 2027.
The Impact On Esports
The deal brings together two big esports hitters. EA makes EA Sports FC and Apex Legends, which are two of the most popular titles on the global circuit. They are also behind titles like Madden NFL and F1 which, while they are more niche, also have strong esports pedigree.
PIF might be better known for its funding of the breakaway golf competition, LIV Golf, and its subsequent withdrawal of funding, but it also provides funding for the Esports World Cup via the Esports Foundation.
Gamer Pushback
While the deal is unlikely to negatively impact esports, players have genuine concerns in other areas.
Fans of The Sims 4 have praised the game’s inclusivity and raised concerns that PIF’s backing may lead the game in a different direction.
It is also likely, especially considering the text of the announcement, that the deal will see EA push further into AI development.
In October 2025, EA signed a strategic partnership with Stability.AI. The partnership was introduced to “co-develop transformative generative AI models”.
But gamers are pushing back against the use of generative AI in games.
One study by Game Oracle suggests that established studios using AI can suffer as much as a 50% decline in game sales if they use AI.
