After securing a $55 billion deal to acquire Battlefield 6 and EA Sports FC publisher EA, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is reportedly "unable to allocate any more money" for the time being

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After securing a $55 billion deal to acquire Battlefield 6 and EA Sports FC publisher EA, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is reportedly "unable to allocate any more money" for the time being News By Anna Koselke published 25 November 2025

The PIF claims to hold about $1 trillion in assets, but it's not so simple

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A $55 billion deal recently saw EA, the publisher behind games like Battlefield 6 and The Sims 4, sold to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners – but amid the buyout, it seems the PIF is struggling financially.

The news comes following a New York Times report, which outlines how the PIF is now looking to turn its dwindling finances around, according to 11 unnamed sources familiar with the fund – board members, currency employees, investors, and their representatives, as the article details. What's behind the supposed shortage of capital, though? The plethora of different projects the PIF has been used for, apparently.

There's Neom, the planned near-utopian city being built in Saudi Arabia, with its indoor and outdoor skiing resort, luxury housing, upside-down skyscraper, floating industrial complex, robot workers, and more. The report cites others, too, like a coffee chain that only boasts one shop so far, a cruise line consisting of just one ship, and an electric vehicle start-up that came about a few years ago – only to not yet deliver any cars to date.

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For anyone wondering about Saudi Arabia's oil-derived wealth, the country can't just pump willy-nilly. There are geopolitical agreements in place imposing restrictions on supply and such, with the New York Times piece explaining that the government is "running a growing budget deficit" and incurring debt to make Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud's promises come to life. Although the PIF claims to hold about $1 trillion in assets, it's not so simple.

Many of these assets hold no public valuations and are difficult to sell, with representatives reportedly telling international investors the PIF is "unable to allocate any more money" for the foreseeable future. Unsurprisingly, a spokesperson for the public fund, Marwan Bakrali, claims it boasts $60 billion in cash and "similar financial instruments," describing it as "very liquid by regional standards."

It's all concerning news, nonetheless, albeit unconfirmed by officials themselves – especially when considering the EA deal that's set to close sometime within the first quarter of 2027 (yes, the very same deal that is leaving EA with a $20 billion debt). It's not the only video game-related investment on the PIF's side, either. There have been "dozens," from a $3.3 billion investment in Activision-Blizzard to many a dollar spent on esports.

There's really no telling what any of this means for the future of the PIF or the market, but it's safe to say that lots of folks are concerned about its hand in the gaming industry – from Sims 4 stans to US senators, many have expressed worries about the EA buyout in particular.

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TOPICS EA CATEGORIES PC Gaming Xbox Series X PS5 Nintendo Switch 2 Mobile Gaming Platforms Xbox PlayStation Nintendo Anna KoselkeSocial Links NavigationStaff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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