Saudi Arabia considers merging Electronic Arts with Savvy Games Group to build gaming superpower

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is exploring a merger between Electronic Arts and Savvy Games Group, a move that would consolidate an enormous collection of gaming franchises under a single roof. Bloomberg reported on September 10 that PIF executives are weighing the combination as a way to better coordinate their rapidly expanding gaming portfolio.

The potential deal would unite EA’s console and PC powerhouses, including EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, Battlefield, and The Sims, with Savvy’s mobile gaming empire that includes Monopoly Go and Pokemon Go.

A $55 billion buyout sets the stage

The merger discussion follows PIF’s completion of a $55 billion leveraged buyout of EA in early August 2026. That deal gave PIF approximately 93% of EA’s shares, effectively taking one of gaming’s most recognized publishers private.

Savvy Games Group has been on its own acquisition spree. The PIF subsidiary picked up Scopely, the studio behind Monopoly Go, and acquired Niantic’s Pokemon Go business.

Moonton first, merger second

No final decision has been reached, and people familiar with the discussions told Bloomberg that any merger is unlikely to happen before Savvy completes its $6 billion acquisition of Moonton. That deal, agreed upon in March 2026, would bring Mobile Legends: Bang Bang into the Savvy fold.

Moonton is currently owned by ByteDance, which makes the transaction geopolitically interesting on its own. Adding a ByteDance-linked studio to a Saudi sovereign wealth fund’s gaming empire introduces layers of regulatory complexity, particularly given the scrutiny that ByteDance-connected deals have attracted in the US and Europe over the past several years.

Regulatory hurdles loom large

Any combination of EA and Savvy would face significant regulatory review given the size of the businesses involved. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023 took nearly two years to clear regulatory hurdles and required concessions in multiple jurisdictions.

The fact that PIF is a state-owned entity adds another dimension, as some jurisdictions have become increasingly wary of sovereign wealth fund influence in strategic technology sectors.

PIF’s broader gaming ambitions

Saudi Arabia has been systematically building a gaming empire as part of its Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy, which aims to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil revenue.

The $55 billion EA acquisition alone represents one of the largest private equity transactions in any industry in recent memory. Adding the $6 billion Moonton deal and Savvy’s earlier acquisitions, PIF has committed well north of $60 billion to gaming in a remarkably short period.

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