EA bought by Amazon, Disney or Apple? The editor would be hot

The buyout craze never ends. A new rumor claims that EA is actively seeking an acquisition and is looking to tech and entertainment giants for it.

Rumors around takeovers never cease to surprise us. After Microsoft got its hands on Activision-Blizzard or even Bethesda, the craziest rumors appeared. For example, there was talk of Sony buying Square Enix. The Japanese publisher, however, sold some of the studios and its licenses to Embracer Group. And we would not be at the end of our surprises. EA was almost taken over, but not by one of the big names in the video game industry.

EA would actively like to be acquired

According to Dylan Beyers, journalist of the site puck, Electronic Arts would actively seek to be acquired, or rather merged. An important distinction because the second option would allow the American publisher to be more autonomous and above all to keep Andrew Wilson as CEO. An idea that would germinate more actively in the minds of the leaders of the company since the takeover of Activision-Blizzard by Microsoft. And EA would not have been idle to find potential buyers.

The article reports that Electronic Arts and NBC Universal were close to concluding a deal a few weeks ago. Under the conditions of this takeover, the famous American television channel would have had to absorb EA and Andrew Wilson would have had to manage the entertainment part of the group. Eventually, the deal would have fallen through because of the price.

Towards a takeover by Disney, Amazon or Apple?

However, Electronic Arts would have provided an emergency exit. The American publisher would indeed have gone to insistently seduce the tech giants. Wilson is said to have approached Disney last March in the possibility of a takeover. An agreement that would have made sense when we know that the exploitation of Disney licenses will soon come to an end. After Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order 2, EA will pass the torch to other studios like Ubisoft or Quantic Dream with Star Wars Eclipse.

EA would not have stopped there and would also have tried to approach Amazon and Apple, two players who are trying to enter the video game industry with varying degrees of difficulty. The article does not specify what kind of negotiations have taken place. However, it is currently impossible to know whether one of his approaches will succeed or not, as this kind of deal takes several months or even years to materialize.

Sony and Microsoft, potential candidates?

However, it seems that EA has not approached the big names in the industry. Microsoft seems more delicate since it has already got its hands on Activision-Blizzard. Sony might otherwise be a consideration, as would Tencent and Embracer and their voracious appetite for studio takeovers. However, Andrew Wilson would certainly have less control in the event of a takeover by a confirmed player in the industry. Asked by KotakuEA representative John Reseburg declined to comment on the rumors.

We do not comment on rumors and speculation around takeovers and mergers. We’re proud to operate from a position of strength and growth, with a catalog of great games, built around strong licenses, made by incredibly talented teams, and with a network of over half a billion players. We see a bright future on the horizon.