The European Union is reportedly planning to officially clear the acquisition of EA by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund by the end of July. The confirmation will likely mark the end of the Saudi Arabian firm’s nearly year-long attempts to purchase EA.
EA easily stands as one of the juggernauts of gaming with a wealth of recognizable titles and studios within its stable. The company oversees a vast quantity of subsidiary studios, ranging from The Sims developer Maxis to Apex Legends creator Respawn Entertainment. EA is also one of the biggest players in the sports game industry through EA Sports, producing annual games based on the NFL, NHL, and other major sports leagues. EA made waves in late 2025 when it was revealed that the Saudi Arabian PIF was attempting to purchase the company, and now the deal is set to clear a major hurdle.
European Union Planning to Clear Purchase of EA
A recent report suggests that the European Commission is preparing to officially clear Saudi Arabia’s attempted purchase of EA. The European Union’s review of the purchase is expected to pass under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation on July 22, with the purchase slated to go through on July 30. The deal has seen significant pushback from several political bodies, including the US Democratic Party, urging the Federal Trade Commission to review the EA purchase. Once cleared by the European Union, Saudi Arabia’s purchase of EA will be the second-largest acquisition in gaming history, following only Microsoft’s landmark purchase of Activision Blizzard.
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The purchase of EA by Saudi Arabia has had a long road to its impending conclusion. EA officially confirmed that the company was in the process of being purchased in September 2025, being sold to a consortium of Silver Lake, Affinity Partners, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Andrew Wilson will remain as CEO of the company following the acquisition, and EA’s headquarters will remain in California, as confirmed. Following the announcement of the deal, Wilson referred to the acquisition of EA by Saudi Arabia as “recognition” of the company’s work in building long-lasting and popular IPs within the gaming industry.
Major gaming acquisitions have become far more commonplace throughout recent years, with many big studios purchasing iconic developers. Sony followed Microsoft’s announced purchase of Activision Blizzard in 2022 by making a big move of its own, officially acquiring Destiny developer Bungie, with the deal being completed in July 2022. Rockstar and 2K parent company Take-Two recently teased plans to potentially acquire more studios of its own, expecting to see massive earnings from the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6.
The scope of changes that could result from the purchase of EA being finalized is not yet fully clear. Initial reports following the sale’s announcement suggested that EA would retain “creative control” over its games and subsidiaries, though the deal was confirmed to give the PIF more than 90% of the company. EA’s headquarters were even raided in May by a group of angry protesters, attempting to deliver a petition to block the buyout of the company. Saudi Arabia’s purchase of EA has been a tumultuous affair within the gaming community, and one that seems to be coming to a close soon.
Source: GameSpot
