Electronic Arts faces largest leveraged buyout deal in gaming historical past

Video sport maker Electronic Arts – recognized for The Sims, Maddel NFL, Plants vs. Zombies and extra – might be going personal quickly with a valuation of roughly $50 billion.

The attainable deal, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, would mark the biggest ever leveraged buyout in historical past. A gaggle of buyers together with personal fairness agency Silver Lake, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners might unveil a deal for the writer as quickly as this week, sources informed Reuters on Friday.

Shares of Electronic Arts, higher often called EA, closed round 15% greater on Friday. The deal to take EA personal would additionally mark additional consolidation inside the trade, after titans comparable to Activision Blizzard and Zynga have been swooped up by even bigger companies, additional decreasing the variety of publicly listed video game companies.

EA is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif. The at the moment public firm was based in 1982, in accordance with its web site. 

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“We create stories and deliver amazing experiences that resonate with audiences around the world and make an impact in the communities where we live, work and play,” EA’s website says. 

“Our values and vision as a global company continue to drive us to create a welcoming workplace, foster inclusive communities, invest in the next generation of innovators and artists, and progress our environmental initiatives,” it continues. 

FOX Business reached out to EA for touch upon the potential buyout, however they didn’t instantly reply.

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The firm’s most up-to-date earnings outcomes mentioned its fiscal 12 months had began out “strong.”

“We delivered a strong start to FY26, outperforming expectations ahead of what will be the most exciting launch slate in EA’s history,” Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, mentioned in an announcement. “From deepening player engagement in EA SPORTS to gearing up for Battlefield 6 and skate., we’re scaling our global communities and continuing to shape the future of interactive entertainment.”

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Net income for the corporate’s fiscal 12 months 2026 first quarter, which ended on June 30, confirmed its web income was $1.671 billion. 

EA’s subsequent earnings convention name is ready for October 28. 

Reuters contributed to this report.