CHICAGO — Video game giant Electronic Arts officially has new owners.
The California-based maker of popular titles like “Battlefield” and “The Sims” announced Tuesday that it closed the $55 billion sale of its business to Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF, investment firm Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners, which is run by U.S
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The acquisition’s price tag is the largest-ever for a buyout funded by private equity. And wider shifts to the gaming world could be on the way now that the deal is complete.
In a statement, CEO Andrew Wilson said EA and its new owners would “invest boldly, accelerate innovation, and build the next generation of games and experiences for the hundreds of millions of players and fans who inspire us every day.” And Turqi Alnowaiser, deputy governor and head of international investments at PIF — which already held a minority stake in EA for five years — also pledged to “invest heavily in EA’s growth,” including through the use of artificial intelligence in game development. Some analysts have noted that going private could potentially grant EA more freedom in developing and distributing future games outside pressures of the public market. But others point to the $20 billion in debt financing the deal took on — which could result in sizable layoffs and other cost-cutting measures.