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PC Gamer
PC Gamer
Lincoln Carpenter

EA's $55 billion acquisition is the biggest leveraged buyout in private equity history. Here's why it has everyone terrified

Electronic Arts logo displayed on a laptop screen and DualSense controller are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on September 29, 2025.

On Monday, news broke that EA, one of the world's largest publicly-traded game publishers, is being taken private in a $55 billion leveraged buyout funded by a group of investors including Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners private equity firm and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

If the deal earns shareholder and regulator approval, it'll be the largest leveraged buyout in history—and it's already inspiring dread in fans and EA developers alike.

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