Will 'Battlefield', 'FC' games become more expensive after $55 billion EA deal?

Following the acquisition of gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA) in a record $55 billion deal, a question remains: Will the buyout affect the video game publisher's upcoming releases—especially the hugely anticipated 'Battlefield 6'?

A consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners—owned by Jared Kushner (US President Donald Trump's son-in-law)—on Monday agreed to acquire the makers of hugely successful franchises like 'FIFA', 'The Sims', and 'Battlefield', as well as standalone classics like 'Apex Legends'.

For gamers, the immediate concern is stability: whether the change will retain upcoming releases—like 'Battlefield 6', 'Star Wars Zero Company', and 'Plants vs Zombies: Replanted'—as well as whether game prices and the publisher's creative strategy will change.

Over the next year, major title releases are expected to continue, as the buyers have cited EA's franchises and live-ops strengths as two key reasons behind the all-cash acquisition.

An immediate operational change is also unlikely: the CEO and senior management staff have been told to stay on, with EA instructing their staff to press on with their current projects.

However, in the long-term, the deal presents a number of interesting possibilities.

Taken off the public markets (pending approvals), EA would escape short-term Wall Street pressure, which may see it invest in riskier IP-rich products and better diversify their gaming portfolio.

While changes in pricing cannot be predicted yet, it must be noted that the consortium can possibly demand returns on their investment. This could be in the form of price changes, studio cuts, layoffs, changes to EA's portfolio and strategy.

Additionally, Redditors have also pointed out how EA's creative strategy could be impacted by censorship—especially in the case of LGBTQ+ themes, which are a part of games like 'The Sims 4'.

However, another Redditor expressed a bit more optimism in the buyout.

Reuters has said that the EA deal may be completed as early as "next week".