what happened to ea

Electronic Arts (EA), a major American video game company, is currently undergoing significant changes. In September 2025, EA agreed to be taken private in a $55 billion leveraged buyout by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake Partners, and Affinity Partners. This deal, if completed by June 2026, would be the largest leveraged buyout to date. The acquisition aims to allow EA to focus more on long-term projects and innovation without the pressure of quarterly earnings reports. Recently, EA has faced internal restructuring and layoffs, including cuts to studios like BioWare and Respawn Entertainment, and cancelled projects such as a Star Wars first-person shooter and the Black Panther game. The company plans to shift away from licensed intellectual properties toward focusing on its own franchises. EA also restructured to separate into two main divisions: EA Sports and EA Entertainment, both directly reporting to CEO Andrew Wilson. This transition to private ownership and the restructuring is seen as a potential new phase for EA, with some insiders optimistic that it will enable EA to invest more boldly, especially in mobile gaming. However, the deal and EA's future changes have also raised concerns about financial constraints, job cuts, and the implications of ownership by a fund linked to Saudi Arabia, a country with a controversial human rights record.