EU Approves Saudi-led $55 B Acquisition of Electronic Arts

The European Commission gave its formal approval on 23 July 2026 for the $55‑56 billion purchase of game developer and publisher Electronic Arts. The deal, first announced in September 2025, will see the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) lead a consortium that also includes U.S. investors Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the latter founded by Jared Kushner. The consortium will acquire roughly 93 % of EA’s shares at $210 per share, a 25 % premium to the September 2025 price, and intends to take the company private and delist it from the stock market.

EU regulators concluded that the transaction poses no competition risk in the European gaming market because the buyers do not operate competing game platforms. The approval was granted without additional conditions, though a separate review of foreign subsidies is scheduled for 30 July 2026. Shareholders had already voted for the sale in December 2025. The acquisition still requires clearance from U.S. authorities – the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – before it can be completed.