Amazon Is Reportedly Acquiring Electronic Arts

A rumor is circling that Amazon is set to announce the acquisition of games publisher and developer Electronic Arts (EA) at some point today.

As USA Today reports(Opens in a new window), the announcement will take the form of Amazon confirming it has put in a formal offer for the company. It follows news published back in May that EA was actively pursuing a sale or merger(Opens in a new window), with Apple, Amazon, Comcast-NBCUniversal, and Disney all thought to be interested.

We all thought that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard could be the biggest gaming deal this year, and while I can’t imagine Amazon would agree to pay anywhere near $68.7 billion for EA, it will certainly require billions be offered to be taken seriously by EA’s shareholders.

Taking control of EA would be a huge win for Amazon and its efforts to enter the gaming market. EA controls many popular gaming franchises across a range of genres including Apex Legends, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Medal of Honor, The Sims, SimCity, and Mass Effect. We also can’t forget the fact EA acquired Codemasters last year, giving it control of multiple racing game franchises including Formula 1, DIRT, DiRT Rally, GRID, and Project CARS.

If the acquisition is confirmed today, expect a similar situation to that Microsoft currently finds itself in with Activision Blizzard. The deal will require approval from regulators around the world, and that can take months of work and waiting patiently.