Electronic Arts (EA) has experienced a monumental and complex month, marked by both a franchise-best game launch and a contentious corporate shakeup. The biggest news is the company’s agreement to be taken private in a massive $55 billion all-cash sale.
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Just weeks after the acquisition announcement, the publisher confirmed that Battlefield 6 achieved the biggest opening in the franchise’s history. The game sold over 7 million copies in its first three days, dwarfing its predecessor, 2021’s Battlefield 2042, which reportedly sold 4.2 million copies in its first week. Beyond raw sales, the launch demonstrated massive player engagement, logging over 172 million online matches played and drawing over 15 million hours watched on streaming services during the holiday weekend.
Executive comments from the company were celebratory, focusing on player gratitude. Franchise General Manager Byron Beede stated, “First and foremost, we want to thank our players,” while Executive VP Vince Zampella added his sincere gratitude for the passionate community that helped them reach this “momentous launch.”
The sales triumph, however, arrived amidst deep corporate uncertainty. The $55 billion leveraged buyout—reportedly the largest in history—will see the gaming giant become a private company owned by an investment consortium led by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), alongside Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners.
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This move has triggered immediate internal backlash. Unionized EA staffers publicly spoke out against the acquisition, warning of the typical effects of such private equity deals. Their statement highlighted fears that “every time private equity or billionaire investors take a studio private, workers lose visibility, transparency and power.” Additionally, US Senators have called for a public investigation into the deal, citing “profound concern” over foreign influence and national security risks stemming from the PIF’s majority stake.
Despite the corporate drama, the game itself is moving forward. Battlefield 6 launched on October 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and its Season 1 content, the first major post-launch update, is scheduled to arrive shortly on October 28.
