Electronic Arts has only just changed ownership, but another major change could already be on the table.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is considering merging Electronic Arts with Savvy Games Group, another major gaming company backed by the fund.
Nothing has been decided yet, and there is no confirmed merger. For now, this is a potential deal being considered by PIF.
The Sims is also part of EA's huge portfolio
EA's portfolio includes some of gaming's biggest franchises, from The Sims and Battlefield to EA Sports FC, Apex Legends, Need for Speed, Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
The future of The Sims is already taking a different direction from previous games, with EA continuing to develop The Sims 4 alongside new projects such as Project Rene. A possible merger with Savvy would therefore put one of the industry's biggest life-simulation franchises under the same broader ownership structure as Savvy's other gaming businesses.
That does not mean The Sims is moving to Savvy or that anything is changing for players, however. No such changes have been announced.
EA only recently changed ownership
The timing makes the report particularly notable. EA confirmed in August that its acquisition by a consortium consisting of PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners had been completed.
PIF is also behind Savvy Games Group, which already has a sizeable presence in the gaming industry. Savvy's businesses include Scopely and ESL FACEIT Group, while the company is also pursuing further expansion in the games market.
A merger would therefore bring EA's large portfolio of games and studios into the same broader ownership structure as Savvy's existing gaming businesses.
Nothing changes for EA players yet
For players, there is no immediate change. EA has not announced changes to its games, studios or services as a result of the reported discussions.
The possible merger would also need to go through the relevant regulatory processes if the idea eventually turns into an actual deal.
EA declined to comment on the report, while PIF and Savvy Games Group were also approached for comment.
For now, the important part is simple: a merger is being considered, not that one has been agreed.
If it eventually happens, it could create an even larger gaming group with some of the industry's biggest franchises and companies under the same wider ownership structure.
Sources:
Bloomberg – Saudis Weigh Merging EA With Savvy To Create Global Gaming Giant
Electronic Arts – EA Announces Completion of Acquisition by PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners
Webmastahhh is the creator of Mastanet, a gaming and technology website where he shares news, reviews, guides and personal insights about games, hardware, software and the future of digital entertainment.
