Electronic Arts has cleared every remaining regulatory hurdle for its $55bn private acquisition, with the consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund now targeting a 4 August closing date.

In an 8-K filing, EA wrote that the publisher has achieved "all regulatory approvals" required for the deal and that the transaction is expected to proceed on 4 August, "subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions set forth in the merger agreement."

How big is the deal?

At $55 billion, the transaction ranks as the largest leveraged buyout attempted in the games sector. A leveraged buyout is funded primarily through debt serviced by the acquired company's cash flow, concentrating operational pressure on the publisher from day one.

Saudi PIF anchors the consortium. Affinity Partners — the private equity firm led by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump — supplies political connective tissue. Silver Lake, the Menlo Park technology investor, adds operational expertise in software and media assets. EA shareholders endorsed the deal in December 2025.

Who has signed off?

• European Commission cleared the merger after extended review in 2026
• US Federal Trade Commission approved it despite a formal protest letter from the Video Game Workers Union
• Other national competition authorities approved without imposing structural remedies

What changes operationally after close?

EA's development studios continue under existing management immediately after closing. Leadership continuity is backed by retention packages disclosed in a separate filing: EA CEO Andrew Wilson received approximately $38m in bonuses and stock awards in the most recent financial year.

The capital structure changes materially. A leveraged structure demands consistent free cash flow to service debt, raising the operational stakes on every franchise. EA executives including Laura Miele have publicly framed generative AI as a productivity and creativity lever that the publisher plans to lean on further.

Industry backdrop sharpens the pressure: Western publishers absorbed widespread layoffs in 2025 and 2026, including reductions at Microsoft Xbox, Double Fine, Compulsion and Ninja Theory.

What still has to land?

Standard closing items include final debt-financing confirmations, escrow deposits and corporate authorisations in offshore holding entities. Human-rights organisations remain active critics of Saudi PIF's gaming exposure; Human Rights Watch has documented the deal as part of broader sportswashing concerns.

The 4 August date is the operative milestone for studios, suppliers and partners. Any slippage into a customary waiver period would push the close into late Q3 2026 and reset quarterly forecasting for a publisher entering sovereign-wealth ownership with a debt-heavy balance sheet.