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EA Buyout Bombshell: $55B Deal with PIF, Silver Lake Revealed
Your Weekly Gaming News
Greg Stokes
07 Oct • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
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Welcome, reader!
Tons of gaming news just for you in this packed newsletter issue!
Table of Contents
GZ CHOP SHOP PODCAST
Latest episodes
👇️ Listen Now: - Two amazing episodes. We cover the questionable EA buyout to private investment firms, and we dive into the fan reactions surrounding Hollow Knight Silksong, discussing the backlash over its difficulty and translation issues, and the confusing lack of Switch 2 exclusives.
GAMING NEWS
EA Announces Agreement to be Acquired by PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners for $55 Billion
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) (“EA” or the “Company”), a global leader in interactive entertainment, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an investor consortium (“the Consortium”) comprised of PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners in an all-cash transaction that values EA at an enterprise value of approximately $55 billion. The transaction positions EA to accelerate innovation and growth to build the future of entertainment.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Consortium will acquire 100% of EA, with PIF rolling over its existing 9.9% stake in the Company. EA stockholders will receive $210 per share in cash. The per share purchase price represents a 25% premium to EA’s unaffected share price of $168.32 at market close on September 25, 2025, the last fully unaffected trading day, and a premium to EA’s unaffected all-time high of $179.01 at market close on August 14, 2025.
PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners bring deep sector experience, committed capital, and global portfolios with networks across gaming, entertainment, and sports that offer unique possibilities for EA to blend physical and digital experiences, enhance fan engagement, and create new growth opportunities. The transaction represents the largest all-cash sponsor take-private investment in history, with the Consortium partnering closely with EA to enable the Company to move faster and unlock new opportunities on a global stage.
Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.3 "Memories of Dreams Bygone" Arrives October 15. Haunted Tales Await!
Global interactive entertainment brand HoYoverse announced today that the urban fantasy ARPG Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.3 "Memories of Dreams Bygone" will launch on October 15. In this latest update, players will team up with Spook Shack and set foot in the newly unlocked Timesworn Hills, where ghost stories echo through abandoned ruins in the Hollow. Lucia, Yidhari, and Komano Manato join the battlefield as new Agents, accompanied by fresh gameplay, new outfits for Vivian and Manato, and engaging events.
The newly revealed Timesworn Hills region, known for its abundant Lumite ore deposits, conceals abandoned research facilities and testing ground ruins where chilling legends thrive. Tales of miners who vanished within the Miasma, the tolling of a phantom bell, creatures that gaze into people's hearts, and hypnotists capable of ensnaring victims in endless dreams haunt the land. This new adventure begins with the case of missing miners and Porcelumex employees, drawing Proxies into the Hollow to uncover unsettling truths.
The new members from Spook Shack bring not only fascination with haunted tales but also formidable strength to the battlefield. Lucia, an S-Rank Ether Support Agent and devoted Ethereal fan, wields dreamlike powers to recreate Ethereals in combat. By accumulating Dream Points, she can enter a Dream state and unleash Ether Veil: Wellspring, boosting all allies' max HP while enhancing team damage through increased Sheer Force and triggering Aftershocks. Yidhari, an S-Rank Ice Rupture Agent, embodies both risk and resilience. She gains Sheer Force based on her max HP, and her ice attacks always inflict Sheer DMG, piercing through enemy defenses. Her damage increases as her HP percentage drops, rewarding a delicate balance of HP loss and recovery. Meanwhile, Komano Manato, now joining the battlefield as an A-Rank Fire Rupture Agent, unleashes Sheer DMG with strikes that scale from his max HP. In addition, S-level agents Vivian (Ether - Anomaly) and Ju Fufu (Fire - Stun) will return in this version's banners.
Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.3 Memories of Dreams Bygone will be available on October 15 for PlayStation®5 Pro, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PC, iOS, and Android. The game is rated Teen by the ESRB and is also classified as PEGI 12. For more information, please visit https://zenless.hoyoverse.com/ or follow @ZZZ_EN on X (Twitter).
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Voting Is Now Open in the 43rd Golden Joystick Awards
The 43rd Golden Joystick Awards are delighted to reveal the shortlist for this year’s awards. Voting is now LIVE HERE, powered by our voting partner MSI, and will remain open until 5 pm PDT / 8 pm EDT / midnight GMT on Friday, October 31, 2025.
The Golden Joystick Awards attract millions of votes every year, with players from all over the world deciding the winners. Known as the ‘People’s Gaming Awards’, last year’s show saw over 12 million votes cast across more than 20 categories. The winners will be revealed in a star-studded award ceremony in central London and live-streamed globally on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
Voting is now live in 21 categories, including ‘Console Game of the Year’, ‘PC Game of the Year’, ‘Most Wanted Game’, and more. Leading the nominations are Kepler Interactive and Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with six nominations, including Studio of the Year, followed by Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yōtei, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II with four nominations each. Popular indie titles such as Hollow Knight: Silksong, Sword of the Sea, and PEAK are also represented with multiple nominations each.
Fans should note that the ‘Ultimate Game of the Year’ shortlist will not be announced until Monday, November 3, with voting in that category opening the same day. An additional selection of critically selected winners will also be unveiled at the awards ceremony.
For more information, visit Golden Joystick Awards 2025
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