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Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts is a privately held company following the completion of its acquisition by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, with Andrew Wilson remaining chairman and CEO. The company is preparing to launch EA SPORTS FC 27 on September 25, 2026, and Star Wars Zero Company on August 27, 2026.
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Yomimono stories · updated
Aug 14
Electronic Arts completed its acquisition by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, along with Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, on August 4, 2026. The deal, first agreed upon on September 29, 2025, and approved by shareholders on December 22, 2025, took the company private. Shareholders received $210 in cash per share, and EA's shares ceased trading on the NASDAQ. Andrew Wilson remains chairman and CEO, with the company headquartered in Redwood City, California. The consortium's funding includes approximately $36 billion in equity contributions and about $20 billion in loans from banks including JPMorgan Chase.
Days before the acquisition closed, EA filed an amended Form 10-K/A with the SEC on July 28, disclosing CEO Andrew Wilson's compensation for fiscal year 2026 at approximately $38.6 million, a 26% increase from the previous year. The pay raise was attributed to strong performance of titles including 'Battlefield 6' and 'skate.', which met launch and player goals. However, EA conducted multiple layoffs in 2026: in February, Full Circle, the 'skate.' developer, cut staff, and in March, layoffs hit Criterion, DICE, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studios, the teams behind 'Battlefield 6'. The contrast drew criticism from overseas media and Reddit threads.
On the release front, EA announced EA SPORTS FC 27, launching worldwide on September 25, 2026, with early access for pre-orders of Ultimate editions starting September 18. The game introduces The Grounds, a social hub and street soccer mode, and brings back Alex Hunter as a mentor, with Kylian Mbappe as the cover athlete. Star Wars Zero Company, a turn-based strategy game developed by Bit Reactor in collaboration with Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games, releases on August 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The game is set during the decline of the Clone Wars and features Anakin Skywalker in its trailer. Apex Legends continues its seasonal cadence with Season 30 Marked launching August 5, 2026, featuring a Bloodhound rework and a night-time overhaul of World's Edge.
Key facts
- Acquisition completed
- EA's acquisition by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, along with Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, completed on August 4, 2026. ↗
- CEO compensation
- CEO Andrew Wilson received approximately $38.6 million in fiscal year 2026, a 26% increase from the previous year. ↗
- EA SPORTS FC 27 release date
- EA SPORTS FC 27 launches worldwide on September 25, 2026, with early access for Ultimate edition pre-orders starting September 18. ↗
- Star Wars Zero Company release date
- Star Wars Zero Company releases on August 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. ↗
- Apex Legends Season 30 launch
- Apex Legends Season 30 Marked launches August 5, 2026, featuring a Bloodhound rework and a night-time World's Edge map. ↗
- Battlefield 6 Season 4
- Battlefield 6 Season 4 'Naval' launches July 21 in three phases, with the Tsuru Reef map and a Top Gun collaboration. ↗
Timeline
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
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Aug 14
Electronic Arts revealed a new trailer for the Battlefield 6 and Top Gun collaboration, launching August 18 as Season 4 Phase 2. It adds the Top Gun: Carrier Strike mode, characters Rooster, Bob, and Warlock voiced by their film actors, plus cosmetics and an event currency. Battlefield REDSEC gets a Fighter Sweep mission.
Aug 11
Electronic Arts will release Star Wars Zero Company on August 27, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The turn-based strategy game is set at the end of the Clone Wars, between Episode II and Episode III. Players command Hawks, a former Republic army officer, leading a mercenary unit called Zero Company that includes former Separatists, former Republic soldiers, nobles, and former convicts. The unit hunts a paramilitary cult called the Infinite Coil, led by Kundrii Fathom, who infects followers with a disease called the Shadow Plague. Development is led by Greg Foertsch at Bit Reactor, a studio with former Firaxis staff who worked on XCOM. Battle systems include cover, elevation, overwatch, and a permadeath option that is enabled by default and cannot be changed after starting the game. Anakin Skywalker appears as a playable character in an early mission, and the preview describes him as overwhelmingly powerful, able to use the Force to knock enemies off ledges. The base of operations is the Den, a decommissioned cargo ship docked at the Ring of Kafrene from Rogue One. Music is composed by Gordy Haab, who won a Grammy for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Aug 8
Electronic Arts released Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition on Apple Arcade on August 6. The game is available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV with no ads or in-app purchases. It features the Ignite engine and includes franchise and quick play modes. Retro Bowl College+ also launched on the service the same day.
Aug 8
Electronic Arts completed its acquisition by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners on August 4. The deal leaves EA with $18 billion in debt and roughly $1.8 billion in annual interest payments. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reports the company plans up to $700 million in yearly cost cuts, including $170 million from organizational efficiencies, which he says points to large-scale layoffs.
Aug 6
Electronic Arts announced EA SPORTS FC 27, launching worldwide on September 25, 2026, with early access for pre-orders of Ultimate editions starting September 18. The game introduces The Grounds, a social hub and street soccer mode, and brings back Alex Hunter as a mentor. Kylian Mbappe is the cover athlete.
Aug 5
Electronic Arts announced on August 4 that its acquisition by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), along with Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, has been officially completed. The deal, first agreed upon on September 29, 2025, received shareholder approval at an extraordinary general meeting on December 22 of that year. With the transaction closed, EA shareholders will receive $210 in cash per share of common stock, and the company's shares will cease trading on the NASDAQ, making EA a privately held company. The consortium's funding includes approximately $36 billion in equity contributions and about $20 billion in loans from banks including JPMorgan Chase. Andrew Wilson will remain chairman and CEO, with the company headquartered in Redwood City, California. In a statement, Wilson said the partners share the company's vision and ambition, and that together they will make bold investments and build next-generation games for hundreds of millions of players. PIF Vice President Turki Alnowaiser noted PIF has been a minority shareholder in EA for over five years and views gaming and esports as key focus areas. Silver Lake co-CEO Egon Durban indicated plans to invest in using AI to improve game development and player experiences.
Jul 31
Electronic Arts filed an amended Form 10-K/A with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 28, disclosing executive compensation for fiscal year 2026. CEO Andrew Wilson received approximately $38.6 million (about ¥6.3 billion), a 26% increase from the previous year. His bonus, listed as Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation, was $6.5 million (about ¥1.06 billion), roughly 2.3 times the prior year's amount. The pay increase is attributed to strong performance of titles including 'Battlefield 6' and 'skate.', which met launch and player goals. However, EA conducted multiple layoffs in 2026: in February, Full Circle, the 'skate.' developer, cut staff, and in March, layoffs hit Criterion, DICE, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studios, the teams behind 'Battlefield 6'. The contrast between rising executive pay and job cuts has drawn criticism, with overseas media like PC Gamer and Reddit threads questioning the industry's treatment of developers. EA's acquisition by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners is set to complete on August 4, with Wilson remaining CEO.
Jul 29
Electronic Arts will launch Season 30 of Apex Legends, titled Marked, on August 5, 2026, at 2:00 AM JST. The season centers on a major rework of the original Legend Bloodhound, whose new ultimate ability Allfather's Cloak cloaks nearby teammates, granting movement speed and threat vision until they fire or take damage. Bloodhound's passive now leaves glowing trails from enemy movement, and the tactical scan extends with periodic snapshot scans. The World's Edge map receives a night-time overhaul with new points of interest including East Village, War Camp, and Tree Settlement, while the nostalgic Sorting Factory and Construction Site return. The loot system is simplified: Extended Supply Bins, Weapon Supply Bins, and wildlife loot are removed. New Corrupted Attachments offer late-game power at a cost. Loba and Rampart also receive buffs: Loba's Black Market cooldown is reduced and her tactical ability moves faster and farther; Rampart gains movement speed while firing Sheila and improved Amped Cover durability. The Marked Battle Pass includes Legendary skins for Bloodhound and Caustic, and a Mythic CAR skin called Allfather's Wrath.
Jul 16
Electronic Arts released the official gameplay trailer for Battlefield 6 Season 4 "Naval" on July 16. The season launches July 21 in three phases, starting with the map Tsuru Reef, which introduces naval combat via a wave-based system. Phase 2 adds a Top Gun collaboration, new modes Carrier Strike and Fighter Sweep, and vehicles like the RHIB and F/A-81F Super Spectre. Phase 3 details are to be announced.
Jun 7
Electronic Arts announced during Summer Game Fest 2026 that the turn-based strategy game Star Wars Zero Company will release on August 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and the EA app. Developed by Bit Reactor in collaboration with Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games, the single-player title is set during the decline of the Clone Wars. Players control Hawks, a former Republic army officer, who leads Zero Company, a squad of mercenaries and specialists from across the galaxy, to stop a threat that could collapse the galaxy. The gameplay trailer released alongside the announcement shows combat featuring Jedi, astromech droids, and other archetypes, with abilities such as using the Force to pull enemies from cover. At the end of the trailer, a character identified as Anakin Skywalker appears. Customization options include changing squad members' voice, appearance, and class. Sending squad members on missions together deepens their bonds. The game also features planets from the Star Wars universe, including Vandor from Solo: A Star Wars Story and Mapuzo from the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
May 28
Electronic Arts announced the Power Trip event for Apex Legends Season 29 Overclock, running June 2 to 23. The limited-time mode Wildcard gains round modifiers that change rules each round, including double jump, mythical weapons, wall-running, and infinite grenades. New skins for Wraith, Octane, Lifeline, Bangalore, and Fuse are available in the event store.