Updated

Updated · Variety · Jul 30

Electronic Arts to Close $55 Billion Go-Private Deal on Aug. 4 After Winning Approvals

Updated

Updated · Variety · Jul 30

Electronic Arts to Close $55 Billion Go-Private Deal on Aug. 4 After Winning Approvals

Q: With EA’s $55 billion buyout nearing an Aug. 4 close, what final hurdle could still delay gaming’s biggest all-cash takeover?

The remaining risk is no longer antitrust approval but the final customary closing conditions in the merger agreement — essentially the last procedural and transactional steps needed to consummate the deal. EA said all required regulatory approvals had been obtained as of July 30, including the key overseas and U.S. clearances that had delayed the original June target. Earlier reporting had identified CFIUS, the U.S. foreign-investment review panel, as the last major regulatory hurdle because the buyer group includes Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. But EA’s latest SEC filing indicates that hurdle has now been cleared. That leaves only standard closing items that can still, in theory, push timing: delivery of final closing certificates, accuracy of representations and warranties at closing, compliance with merger covenants, funding mechanics, and any other conditions that must be satisfied or formally waived. Companies often describe these as routine, but if any issue surfaces in those final checks, closing can slip even after regulators sign off. The parties have also extended the outside date to Sept. 28, 2026, which gives them room if those remaining steps take longer than expected. So the practical answer is that no major substantive regulatory obstacle appears to remain; the only final hurdle is completion or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions before cash can change hands and EA goes private.

3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jul 30

Electronic Arts said all required regulatory approvals are now in hand and it expects its $55 billion merger to close around the end of trading on Aug. 4.
The all-cash deal still requires satisfaction or waiver of remaining customary closing conditions, but it clears the main hurdle that had delayed the transaction beyond its original June 30 target.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners agreed last September to take EA private in the $55 billion buyout.
EA is expected to stay headquartered in Redwood City, California, with Andrew Wilson remaining CEO after the deal closes.

Sources

Left75%

Center25%

Variety21d ago

Electronic Arts to Close $55 Billion Go-Private Deal Next Week After Regulatory Approval

Yahoo Finance20d ago

Saudi PIF's $55 billion EA deal gets EU approval under subsidy rules

Engadget21d ago

Electronic Arts Says It'll Be A Private Company Next Week

12 Sources

With EA’s $55 billion buyout nearing an Aug. 4 close, what final hurdle could still delay gaming’s biggest all-cash takeover?

If EA goes private under a Saudi-led group, will blockbuster franchises thrive—or face tougher monetization and cost-cutting pressures?

The $55 Billion Electronic Arts Acquisition: Saudi PIF’s Takeover, Debt Risks, and the Global Gaming Power Shift

Overview

The $55 billion buyout of Electronic Arts (EA) marks a turning point for the gaming industry, as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) moves from a passive investor to controlling over 93% of EA. After a year of regulatory hurdles, the deal is set to close, taking EA private and loading it with $20 billion in debt. To manage this, EA is expected to cut costs aggressively, focus on its most profitable franchises, and increase monetization strategies. This shift gives a state-backed fund direct influence over a major Western publisher, raising concerns about creative freedom, data privacy, and the future direction of global gaming.

...