Saudi Arabia Takes on the Gaming World: EA and Unity’s Next Adventure

Saudi Arabia Takes on the Gaming World: EA and Unity's Next Adventure
November 6, 2026

The New Power Players

Hold onto your controllers, folks! It seems that the gaming universe is going through some wild changes. Just earlier this year, Electronic Arts, the company behind your favorite sports franchises and loot box controversies, was snagged by a consortium featuring none other than Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) along with investment heavyweights like Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. Can you believe that hefty $55 billion price tag? It’s like buying your favorite console—if your console was a giant money pit!

Unity’s Unexpected Twist

But wait, there’s more! Now, it looks like the PIF and Silver Lake have their gaming glasses set on Unity Software, the genius behind that super-versatile game engine everyone uses to create those epic gaming experiences. Silver Lake, who’s already got a little piece of the pie with about 8% stake in Unity, might just be looking to make a more significant investment. They originally dropped around $400 million back in 2017. So, what’s on the table? A valuation of around $25 billion. That’s a whole lotta digital coins!

Of course, this is after Unity has seen some impressive earnings lately. They’ve been working their magic post-Runtime Fee scandal, and they’re set to post their first profit since going public in September 2020! Their AI-powered Vector advertising platform is actually doing wonders. Who knew advertisements could grow up to be a mature and profitable adult?

Now, speaking of EA, the party didn’t start off smoothly after being acquired. They kicked things off with massive layoffs and a staggering $18 billion debt hanging over their heads—yikes! It’s like being gifted a birthday cake with a side of unavoidable doom! Not exactly what the employees were hoping for.

The way things are going, it seems that the gaming industry is racing toward a consolidation crisis where just a few big players run the show, and unfortunately, job stability seems to be slipping away faster than a noob on a slick battleground. Keep your fingers crossed, Unity employees; it’s a wild ride ahead!