Electronic Arts has officially become a private company following its acquisition by the Consortium, a group backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, and Silver Lake. Shortly after the deal closed, reports revealed that EA is planning to reduce annual expenses by $700 million.
The acquisition was first announced in 2025 and officially finalized on August 4, 2026. As a result, EA has been delisted from the NASDAQ after 36 years. According to Bloomberg, shareholders, including many EA employees, will receive $210 per share.
The transition to private ownership also leaves the company with roughly $18 billion in debt. Bloomberg reports that the associated annual interest payments will total around $1.8 billion. Although EA generates approximately $1.5 billion in annual EBITDA, the company has already begun identifying areas where costs can be reduced.
Of the planned $700 million in savings, $170 million is expected to come from what the company describes as "organizational efficiencies." The term is commonly associated with workforce reductions, though the exact number of affected employees has not been disclosed.
The news comes as the gaming industry continues to face widespread layoffs. According to gaminglayoffs.com, around 14,900 jobs were lost in 2024, another 5,200 in 2025, and more than 9,100 layoffs have already been recorded in 2026. If the trend continues, this year could end with job losses approaching 2024 levels.
EA also confirmed in its updated SEC filing that CEO Andrew Wilson received more than $38 million in total compensation during the latest fiscal year, an increase of $8 million compared to 2025. The company's financial performance was partly driven by the launch of Battlefield 6, although Battlefield Studios had previously been affected by earlier rounds of layoffs.
As a Reminder, Electronic Arts Officially Comes Under Control of Saudi Consortium: $55B Deal Completed.
