Saudi Arabia's PIF acquisition of EA reportedly set to clear EU approval by July 30

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is on the verge of clearing its final major regulatory hurdle. According to Reuters reporting from July 17, the EU is expected to approve PIF's $55 billion acquisition of EA by July 30, following a preliminary review under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation on July 22. Sources familiar with the deal say the purchase will receive unconditional EU clearance under standard merger rules.

The FSR — designed to stop non-European subsidies from distorting competition inside the EU's internal market — had been a potential sticking point, but the European Commission has effectively moved it aside. Reuters had reported earlier this month that the FSR faced heavy criticism for being overly bureaucratic, and that criticism appears to have contributed to the regulation carrying less weight here. With that cleared, PIF's path to completing the acquisition looks unobstructed.

The deal has been in motion since September 2025, when rumors first surfaced linking PIF, private-equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners to a potential EA buyout. EA acknowledged in November 2025 that a sale to Saudi Arabia carried risks, but insisted it would retain creative control. That assurance was complicated a month later when the Wall Street Journal reported that a majority of EA's control would actually shift to PIF once the deal closes. The acquisition has drawn significant backlash from the gaming community — protests reached the point where cosplayers staged a demonstration at EA's California headquarters. If it closes as expected, the $55 billion deal will be the second-largest gaming acquisition in history, behind only Microsoft's $75.4 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard in October 2023.

With the EU review wrapping up July 22 and final clearance expected July 30, the deal appears to be in its final stretch. Community opposition hasn't slowed the regulatory process, and barring any last-minute surprises, PIF will soon be EA's majority stakeholder.