Wednesday, August 5, 2026, brought six major stories from the worlds of technology and gaming. EA's massive $55 billion buyout by Saudi Arabia's PIF ends its 36-year public run. Microsoft launches Disc to Digital for Xbox 360 on PC, SpaceX preps to catch its Starship, and Apple briefly removed Telegram over CSAM content.
Gaming Giant Goes to Saudi Arabia: Electronic Arts Sold for $55 Billion One of the biggest deals in video game industry history has officially closed. Electronic Arts, the powerhouse behind iconic franchises
like FIFA (now EA Sports FC), Battlefield, The Sims, and Apex Legends, has been acquired for $55 billion by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). The deal, which began in October
2025, officially closed on August 4, 2026, marking the end of EA's 36-year run as a publicly traded company. PIF, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, now owns 94% of EA. The other partners in this massive
transaction are Silver Lake, a prominent private equity firm, and Affinity Partners, the investment firm managed by Jared Kushner, former president Donald Trump's son-in-law. This is the largest leveraged
buyout (LBO) in gaming history and ranks as the second-largest gaming acquisition ever, trailing only Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard. [IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER_1] Financial Details of the Deal Under
the terms of the agreement, EA shareholders received $210 per share in cash, representing a 25% premium over the stock price on September 25, 2025, when the deal was announced. PIF, which already owned
9.9% of EA before the acquisition, rolled over its existing stake and now controls the majority of the company. The concerning part is that this deal came with approximately $18 billion in new debt that
EA must now service from its future earnings. According to reports from GameSpot and Polygon, this massive debt load has raised concerns about EA's future. Analysts predict the company may resort to widespread
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