EA’s new Saudi owners are considering merging Electronic Arts with Savvy Games Group, according to a Bloomberg report cited by GameSpot and Reuters. No final decision has been made, and the EA Savvy merger would not move ahead until Savvy completes its planned acquisition of Moonton.
What is the EA Savvy merger plan?
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) controls both EA and Savvy. Bloomberg’s sources said the fund is considering a combined structure to coordinate its gaming assets and create one of the world’s largest game companies. The final shape is unclear: EA could remain a separate business inside a larger group, or one company could be absorbed into the other.
PIF led the $55bn acquisition that took EA private on 4 August. EA’s own announcement confirms that the consortium also includes Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, and that shareholders received $210 per share. The company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the consortium’s parent rather than a listed Nasdaq business.
Savvy is PIF’s gaming investment arm. It owns Scopely, the publisher behind Monopoly Go, and has stakes in other gaming companies. Scopely’s portfolio also includes Pokémon Go after its agreement to acquire Niantic’s games business. PIF separately owns SNK and holds stakes in publishers including Nintendo, Capcom and Koei Tecmo.
Why Moonton comes first
Savvy agreed to acquire Chinese mobile gaming company Moonton for about $6bn in March. Moonton makes Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, one of the largest mobile games in Southeast Asia. Bloomberg’s report says a merger with EA is unlikely before that acquisition is complete.
A combined group would put EA Sports FC, Battlefield, The Sims and Apex Legends alongside mobile games such as Monopoly Go, Pokémon Go and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. It would also give PIF a single structure for future acquisitions and game development, although regulators would likely examine a deal of this size.
The proposal arrives as EA deals with the financing behind its buyout. Bloomberg previously reported that the company was targeting $700m in cost savings, with staff already worried about layoffs, studio closures and cancelled projects. A new corporate structure would not answer those questions by itself.
EA’s developers are also watching how the new ownership affects creative decisions. BioWare staff have raised concerns about the treatment of inclusive storytelling under Saudi ownership, while The Sims team has said its values remain unchanged.
The PIF has not announced a merger, and neither EA nor Savvy has confirmed a timetable.
How big could the combined gaming group become?
It would bring some of the industry’s largest console, PC and mobile franchises under one PIF-controlled structure, but no combined valuation or operating plan has been announced. The merger remains a proposal rather than a completed transaction.
Has the EA Savvy merger been confirmed?
No. Bloomberg reported that PIF is considering the combination, but no final decision or timetable has been announced.
What is Savvy Games Group buying before a possible merger?
Savvy is working to complete its planned acquisition of Moonton, the Chinese mobile game company behind Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. The deal is valued at about $6bn.
Which games could sit under the combined group?
The portfolio could include EA Sports FC, Battlefield, The Sims and Apex Legends from EA, plus Monopoly Go, Pokémon Go and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang through Savvy’s holdings.
