EA’s controversial $55 billion takeover appears to be moving closer to completion, with European Union regulators reportedly preparing to approve the enormous deal without demanding any concessions.

According to Reuters, the European Commission is expected to grant the acquisition unconditional approval under EU merger rules when its preliminary review ends on July 22. A separate investigation under the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation is then reportedly expected to be cleared on July 30.

Still, assuming the report is accurate, it appears that one of the biggest regulatory hurdles standing between the consortium and control of EA is about to disappear.

The massive acquisition was first announced in September 2025. EA agreed to be purchased by a consortium consisting of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, private equity company Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the investment company founded by Jared Kushner. Unsurprisingly, this news was not greeted with excitement by gamers.

The consortium will pay EA shareholders $210 per share in cash, valuing the publisher at approximately $55 billion. EA described it as the largest all-cash sponsor take-private investment in history.

Of the money being used to buy EA, approximately $36 billion will come from the consortium’s own equity. Another $20 billion is being provided through debt financing arranged by JPMorgan Chase, with $18 billion expected to be drawn when the deal closes.

In other words, EA will be getting a shiny new owner and a very substantial pile of debt to go alongside it. What could possibly go wrong?

Although the acquisition is regularly described as being carried out by a three-company consortium, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is overwhelmingly the biggest party involved.

As I previously reported, filings with Brazil’s antitrust regulator indicated that PIF would own approximately 93.4% of EA following the acquisition. Silver Lake would hold around 5.5%, while Affinity Partners would own the remaining 1.1%.

An official notice published by the European Union similarly states that PIF will acquire “sole control” of the whole of EA. That does not mean the other two investors have vanished, but it makes it clear who will ultimately be sitting at the top of the new ownership structure.

PIF has invested heavily in gaming over recent years as part of Saudi Arabia’s attempts to diversify its economy away from oil. Its investments have included companies such as Nintendo, Capcom, Nexon and Take-Two, while its Savvy Games Group owns mobile publisher Scopely and esports companies ESL and FACEIT. As you’ve probably guessed, this expansion has been…controversial. To say the least.

The EA acquisition is on another level entirely, though, handing the Saudi-controlled fund ownership of one of the biggest publishers in the world and franchises including EA Sports FC, Madden, Battlefield, The Sims, Apex Legends and Mass Effect.