Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and its subsidiary, Savvy Games Group, completed the full acquisition of American game company Electronic Arts for 55 billion dollars in August 2026, pushing the fund's total gaming investments past 70 billion dollars, according to corporate regulatory disclosures. The transaction resulted in EA's delisting from Nasdaq, making it a private enterprise, with the Public Investment Fund holding approximately 93.4% of its shares.
This acquisition stands as the second-largest merger and acquisition case in gaming history, following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, per industry financial records. The Public Investment Fund's initial foray into gaming investments began in the fourth quarter of 2020, with a 3.4 billion dollar purchase of stocks in Activision Blizzard, EA, and Take-Two. Savvy Games Group was established with an initial capital reserve of 37.8 billion dollars.
In 2022, Savvy acquired ESL and FACEIT for 1.5 billion dollars, subsequently merging them into ESL FACEIT Group, which now controls approximately 40% of the global esports event organization business, per market data. Further acquisitions include Scopely for 4.9 billion dollars in 2023, Niantic's game division for 3.5 billion dollars in 2025, and Moonton Technology for 6 billion dollars in 2026. The Public Investment Fund also acquired an initial 5% stake in Nintendo, later adjusting its shareholding to 6.3%. Brian Ward, a former executive of Electronic Arts, Microsoft Games, and Activision Blizzard, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Savvy.
These investments align with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the kingdom's economy away from oil, according to government economic policy documents. A report on Saudi Arabia's investments noted that the 2030 Horizon's mandate for Saudi Arabia dictates that they have to dilute their oil dependency. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is noted as an avid gamer in official biographical profiles. Saudi Arabia is also developing a large entertainment city called Qiddiya, featuring a dedicated gaming district, and is set to host the inaugural Esports Nations Cup in November. No specific details on the regulatory approval process for the Electronic Arts acquisition were publicly released beyond its formal completion.
Critics have expressed concerns that Saudi Arabia's substantial investments in the gaming industry represent a soft-power move, viewing games as potential propaganda tools and raising ethical questions about the influence of a government with a controversial human rights record on a global entertainment medium, according to industry commentary. For the global gaming industry, this signifies a major shift in ownership and influence, with a sovereign wealth fund now controlling a significant portion of a major publisher like Electronic Arts, potentially impacting game development, content, and market access. For Saudi Arabia, these investments are critical for achieving its Vision 2030 goals of economic diversification away from oil, fostering a domestic gaming industry, and building cultural soft power among a young audience.
