According to an 8-K form filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, EA's major take-private deal—with a consortium that includes Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund—has cleared all regulatory steps. The deal is expected to go through early next week, on August 4.

"As of July 30, 2026, all regulatory approvals required to complete the Merger have been obtained," reads the filing. "Electronic Arts currently expects the merger to close on or about the close of trading on August 4, 2026. Completion of the merger remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement."

The news comes just after the European Commission approved the merger under its EU Merger Regulation rules, concluding that it doesn't "raise competition concerns" because of a perceived "limited impact on competition in the markets where the companies are active."

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EA values the take-private around $55 billion, and it was initially announced in September 2025. The company has said the deal will allow it to "accelerate innovation and growth to build the future of entertainment," and deliver what it calls "compelling value" to its stockholders.

The deal is not without controversy. Saudi Arabia's state-backed Public Investment Fund (PIF) will reportedly control a 93.4 percent stake in the Battlefield and EA Sports FC maker if all goes the plan—and the remainder will go to other investors including Silver Lake and Affinity Partners—the latter of which is the investment firm established by U.S. president Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman—who continues to be questioned over alleged links to the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi and has faced criticism over reported human rights abuses—chairs the fund. Some analysts have raised concerns that EA could be used for culture washing if the deal does go through.

Game Developer has reached out to the FTC for more information.

About the Author

Danielle Riendeau

Editor-in-Chief, GameDeveloper.com

Danielle is the editor-in-chief of Game Developer, with previous editorial posts at Fanbyte, VICE, and Polygon. She’s also a lecturer in game design at the Berklee College of Music, and a hobbyist game developer in her spare time.