In a Predictable Move, New Electronic Arts Leadership Reportedly Looks to AI to Save Money

Electronic Arts, the company behind hit games like Madden NFL, Battlefield, and The Sims, is being acquired in what is now the largest private equity-funded buyout ever.

The deal, valued at $55 billion, includes Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Silver Lake Partners, and Affinity Partners, which is managed by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. EA shareholders will receive $210 per share.

According to Andrew Marok of Raymond James, the Saudi fund has been very active in gaming since 2022, buying stakes in major publishers and companies like ESL, FACEIT, and Scopely. “The PIF has made its intentions to scale its gaming arm, Savvy Gaming Group, clear, and the EA deal would represent the biggest such move to date by some distance,” he said.

The official agreement follows last week’s leak of the EA buyout. The deal is expected to close in early 2027, pending shareholder and regulatory approval, and EA CEO Andrew Wilson will remain in his role for now.

The Financial Times reports that the new owners plan to use artificial intelligence to cut costs and manage the company’s large debt.

This could include AI being used in game development, potentially replacing some developers and actors, although details are still unclear. The news comes just months after the United Videogame Workers Union formed, partly in response to AI in gaming and industry layoffs.

“The investors are betting that AI-based cost cuts will significantly boost EA’s profits in the coming years,” the Financial Times wrote. They also noted that the move represents “a huge bet that artificial intelligence can significantly cut EA’s operating costs, allowing the equity consortium to manage a large debt load on a company that historically carried limited net debt.”

EA has already invested heavily in AI through its Search for Extraordinary Experiences Division. CEO Andrew Wilson previously explained that AI can make game development faster and more efficient. “We’ve moved from being able to create stadiums in six months to six weeks,” he said about their football games. Wilson added that AI helps developers “get to the fun more quickly.”

Efficiency doesn’t always mean layoffs, but EA has already reduced its workforce in recent years. In 2024, the company cut about 5% of its staff, roughly 670 people, and later laid off another 300 employees while closing one of its new studios.

The acquisition by a group that includes the Saudi PIF also raises questions about working under investors from a country with a controversial human rights record. The closing of the deal will require regulatory approval, which could be a long process.

For EA developers, the next few years may bring big changes as the company transitions to private ownership, with AI playing a central role in shaping how games are made and how teams operate.

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