Electronic Arts, the company behind games like Madden NFL and The Sims, will stop being a publicly traded company on or about August 4, 2026. A filing with the U.S. government on July 31 confirmed that all required regulatory approvals had been secured as of July 30 (Engadget).

A group of buyers is purchasing EA for $55 billion and taking it off the stock market. EA's own press release describes it as the largest all-cash deal of its kind in history (EA Investor Relations). The deal closes roughly a month behind its original schedule. It ends EA's 35-year run as a company anyone can buy shares of on the stock market, and it is the largest leveraged buyout ever recorded. A leveraged buyout means the buyers borrow a large amount of money to purchase the company, then use the company's own earnings to pay back that debt.

Three entities are teaming up to buy EA. The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, known as the PIF, is a government-owned investment fund. Silver Lake is a private equity firm that specializes in technology companies. Affinity Partners was founded by Jared Kushner. The group is operating through a company called Oak-Eagle AcquireCo, Inc., which has already been working in the debt markets. In July, Oak-Eagle extended offers to buy back EA's existing bonds, pushing the deadline to August 4 to match the expected closing date (PR Newswire).

EA shareholders will receive $210 per share in cash, a 25% premium over the company's September 25, 2025 closing price of $168.32 (Reuters). The deal was publicly announced on September 29, 2025. Bloomberg and Reuters both reported it as the largest leveraged buyout on record (Bloomberg).

CEO Andrew Wilson will continue to lead EA after the deal closes, and the company's headquarters will stay in Redwood City, California. The decision to keep the existing leadership and operations is typical when buyers want long-term flexibility rather than a management shakeup.

The financial side of this deal is worth a closer look. A $55 billion buyout funded with borrowed money means EA will carry a large amount of debt. The bonds EA issued years ago carry low interest rates from a time when borrowing was cheap. Whatever debt replaces them will cost more in today's rate environment. The difference between what EA used to pay and what it will now pay is a financial burden the company takes on as a private business. How that cost interacts with EA's money-making game franchises is a question that will no longer be answered in public financial reports.

The wider context here involves who the buyers are. The PIF's involvement fits a broader pattern of Middle Eastern government funds investing in Western entertainment and technology. Silver Lake has a long history of buying technology companies. Affinity Partners, founded by Jared Kushner, adds a political dimension. The combination of a government wealth fund, a technology-focused investment firm, and a politically connected advisor is unusual even for a deal of this size.

For EA, going private removes the pressure of reporting earnings every three months and the need to keep showing growth in how many people play its games. EA's franchises, including EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, Apex Legends, and The Sims, bring in steady recurring revenue. Without public scrutiny, EA can invest in projects that take longer to pay off, absorb setbacks without its stock price dropping, and reorganize on its own timeline. The trade-off is the debt the company now owes.

The one-month delay between the original target and the August 4 closing date is small for a deal this size. Regulatory approval was the main holdup, and the July 30 confirmation cleared the final hurdle.

EA's removal from the Nasdaq stock exchange takes a familiar name off the market. The company went public in the late 1980s and has been a fixture in gaming ever since. For investors who held the stock, the $210 cash price is a clean exit at a meaningful premium. For the company, the next chapter plays out away from public view, with three buyers, a large debt load, and the same CEO in charge.