Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The $55 billion sale of EA is done. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund owns 93% of the company. Financial reporting died within twelve hours of the close, and $20 billion of the purchase debt now sits on EA's books. EA has promised its lenders $400 million in savings within a year. That means layoffs and cancelled games, on top of the 2,500 people already cut since 2022. But while that sounds great for their new backers, for the Saudis, it's not all about the money.
Join us at http://bellular.games for early access content, 20 editions of 'Loading Screen' a month and to support our team!
00:00 EA Is A Black Box Now
00:57 Saudi Arabia Owns EA
04:27 Paying Off Their Own Buyout
11:27 Sportswashing Is The Point
SOURCES
ampereanalysis.com/insight/electronic-arts-buyout-what-it-means-for-ea-saudi-arabias-pif-and-the-wider-industry
gamespot.com/articles/ea-has-officially-been-sold-and-what-comes-next-could-be-painful
ft.com/content/be980240-13ec-498c-ba79-71eada30d133
https://bsky.app/profile/jasonschreier.bsky.social/post/3mscbqr7m3c2p
rockpapershotgun.com/i-would-fight-it-tooth-and-nail-the-sims-artist-would-challenge-any-mandate-to-reduce-diversity-after-ea-saudi-buyout
https://aftermath.site/ea-sale-ftc-labor-caucus/
kotaku.com/ea-electronic-arts-saudi-arabia-acquisition-protest-2000694956
reuters.com/legal/transactional/saudi-pifs-55-billion-ea-deal-gets-eu-approval-under-subsidy-rules-2026-07-31
ea.com/news/our-next-chapter
businesswire.com/news/home/20260804173096/en/EA-Announces-Completion-of-Acquisition-by-PIF-Silver-Lake-and-Affinity-Partners
vanityfair.com/news/2022/04/jared-kushner-affinity-partners-saudi-arabia-pitch-deck
financecharts.com/stocks/EA/cash-flow/repurchase-of-capital-stock-annual
https://publish.obsidian.md/vg-layoffs/Archive/2026
blog.bioware.com/2025/01/29/bioware-studio-update
videogameschronicle.com/news/codemasters-confirms-layoffs-as-ea-owned-studio-shifts-focus-away-from-beloved-rally-games
ign.com/articles/ea-cancels-black-panther-game-closes-cliffhanger-games
ign.com/articles/ea-shuttering-marcus-lehtos-studio
https://mobilegamer.biz/ea-is-about-to-switch-off-eight-more-mobile-games/
ea.com/news/continuing-to-evolve-our-business-and-teams?isLocalized=true
https://www.gamefile.news/p/wait-a-minute-eas-headcount-rose
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-23/ea-touts-700-million-buyout-cost-savings-to-coax-debt-investors
businesswire.com/news/home/20260615782397/en/Electronic-Arts-Introduces-EA-Advertising-Launching-Brands-Directly-Into-Gameplay-and-Live-Experiences
ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/the-sims-maker-program-and-marketplace
operationsports.com/ea-fc-27-ultimate-plus-costs-150-making-it-eas-most-expensive-game-ever
youtube.com/watch?v=lkjKVjfrYMs&feature=youtu.be
bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-46245167
amnesty.org/en/projects/saudi-arabia-kingdom-of-repression
marketscreener.com/quote/stock/NINTENDO-CO-LTD-6491906/company-shareholders
videogameschronicle.com/news/snk-lead-insists-saudi-arabia-sale-will-have-no-effect-on-the-games-we-make
https://www.pif.gov.sa/en/news-and-insights/newswire/2023/savvy-games-group-completes-acquisition-of-scopely-for-fourty-nine-billion/
fairsq.org/saudi-arabia-migrant-deaths
qiddiya.com/qiddiya-city
pcgamer.com/games/fighting/evo-is-dead-major-fighting-game-tournament-is-now-wholly-owned-by-saudi-megaproject-qiddiya-promises-traditions-values-and-identity-will-remain-unchanged
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2026/07/09/ewc-2026-in-paris-behind-the-scenes-of-the-controversial-partnership-between-france-and-saudi-arabia-in-esports_6755290_13.html
readergrev.com/p/esports-world-cup-team-liquid-level-up-lgbtq-censorship
https://x.com/TheSims/status/1981787265811853776?s=20
telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/11/01/saudi-arabias-trillion-dollar-spending-spree-goes-sour
superjoost.substack.com/p/electronic-arts-55b-buyout-doesnt
```
The $55 billion sale of EA is done. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund owns 93% of the company. Financial reporting died within twelve hours of the close, and $20 billion of the purchase debt now sits on EA's books. EA has promised its lenders $400 million in savings within a year. That means layoffs and cancelled games, on top of the 2,500 people already cut since 2022. But while that sounds great for their new backers, for the Saudis, it's not all about the money.
Join us at http://bellular.games for early access content, 20 editions of 'Loading Screen' a month and to support our team!
00:00 EA Is A Black Box Now
00:57 Saudi Arabia Owns EA
04:27 Paying Off Their Own Buyout
11:27 Sportswashing Is The Point
SOURCES
ampereanalysis.com/insight/electronic-arts-buyout-what-it-means-for-ea-saudi-arabias-pif-and-the-wider-industry
gamespot.com/articles/ea-has-officially-been-sold-and-what-comes-next-could-be-painful
ft.com/content/be980240-13ec-498c-ba79-71eada30d133
https://bsky.app/profile/jasonschreier.bsky.social/post/3mscbqr7m3c2p
rockpapershotgun.com/i-would-fight-it-tooth-and-nail-the-sims-artist-would-challenge-any-mandate-to-reduce-diversity-after-ea-saudi-buyout
https://aftermath.site/ea-sale-ftc-labor-caucus/
kotaku.com/ea-electronic-arts-saudi-arabia-acquisition-protest-2000694956
reuters.com/legal/transactional/saudi-pifs-55-billion-ea-deal-gets-eu-approval-under-subsidy-rules-2026-07-31
ea.com/news/our-next-chapter
businesswire.com/news/home/20260804173096/en/EA-Announces-Completion-of-Acquisition-by-PIF-Silver-Lake-and-Affinity-Partners
vanityfair.com/news/2022/04/jared-kushner-affinity-partners-saudi-arabia-pitch-deck
financecharts.com/stocks/EA/cash-flow/repurchase-of-capital-stock-annual
https://publish.obsidian.md/vg-layoffs/Archive/2026
blog.bioware.com/2025/01/29/bioware-studio-update
videogameschronicle.com/news/codemasters-confirms-layoffs-as-ea-owned-studio-shifts-focus-away-from-beloved-rally-games
ign.com/articles/ea-cancels-black-panther-game-closes-cliffhanger-games
ign.com/articles/ea-shuttering-marcus-lehtos-studio
https://mobilegamer.biz/ea-is-about-to-switch-off-eight-more-mobile-games/
ea.com/news/continuing-to-evolve-our-business-and-teams?isLocalized=true
https://www.gamefile.news/p/wait-a-minute-eas-headcount-rose
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-23/ea-touts-700-million-buyout-cost-savings-to-coax-debt-investors
businesswire.com/news/home/20260615782397/en/Electronic-Arts-Introduces-EA-Advertising-Launching-Brands-Directly-Into-Gameplay-and-Live-Experiences
ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/the-sims-maker-program-and-marketplace
operationsports.com/ea-fc-27-ultimate-plus-costs-150-making-it-eas-most-expensive-game-ever
youtube.com/watch?v=lkjKVjfrYMs&feature=youtu.be
bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-46245167
amnesty.org/en/projects/saudi-arabia-kingdom-of-repression
marketscreener.com/quote/stock/NINTENDO-CO-LTD-6491906/company-shareholders
videogameschronicle.com/news/snk-lead-insists-saudi-arabia-sale-will-have-no-effect-on-the-games-we-make
https://www.pif.gov.sa/en/news-and-insights/newswire/2023/savvy-games-group-completes-acquisition-of-scopely-for-fourty-nine-billion/
fairsq.org/saudi-arabia-migrant-deaths
qiddiya.com/qiddiya-city
pcgamer.com/games/fighting/evo-is-dead-major-fighting-game-tournament-is-now-wholly-owned-by-saudi-megaproject-qiddiya-promises-traditions-values-and-identity-will-remain-unchanged
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2026/07/09/ewc-2026-in-paris-behind-the-scenes-of-the-controversial-partnership-between-france-and-saudi-arabia-in-esports_6755290_13.html
readergrev.com/p/esports-world-cup-team-liquid-level-up-lgbtq-censorship
https://x.com/TheSims/status/1981787265811853776?s=20
telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/11/01/saudi-arabias-trillion-dollar-spending-spree-goes-sour
superjoost.substack.com/p/electronic-arts-55b-buyout-doesnt
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