The proposed sale of Electronic Arts to an investor consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has cleared a major hurdle in the closing process. The European Commission announced today, July 23, that it has approved the merger, saying the deal does not raise competition concerns.
This was the expected result, and now it’s official.
The $55 billion deal, which is structured as a leveraged buyout (LBO), comes with billions in debt for EA. This has led many to believe EA will implement a dramatic cost-cutting effort to help service the debt, and that this could include mass layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations.
That remains to be seen, however, and no major changes are expected to be announced until the deal formally closes.
A report from Insider Gaming cited multiple anonymous sources within BioWare stating they believe BioWare could be one of the first companies to see cuts under the new ownership.
“I’ve been doing it since last year, but I’m making sure I have a portfolio ready and feelers out for other jobs,” a current BioWare developer said. “Kind of feels like a matter of time.”
BioWare is known, in part, for making pro-diversity games featuring inclusive storytelling and characters. Longtime BioWare writer Patrick Weekes, who was laid off in 2025, speculated that EA’s new owners, including the PIF, might want to avoid “gay stuff” and politics that the PIF’s leadership does not agree with. Weekes theorized that EA might straight-up close or otherwise get rid of BioWare to avoid any concerns, should the deal materialize.
In addition to the PIF, the sale includes private equity firm Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners. In 2025, EA admitted that there were risks involved with selling itself, but was proceeding ahead.
Additionally, cosplayers raided EA’s California headquarters in protest of the deal.
