Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (EA) is a global leader in the digital interactive entertainment industry. Founded in 1982 by Trip Hawkins and several former colleagues from Apple, the company was established with the vision of treating game developers as 'software artists.' This founding philosophy eventually evolved into a massive corporate structure that dominates the gaming market through iconic franchises such as EA SPORTS FC (formerly FIFA), Madden NFL, The Sims, Battlefield, and Apex Legends.

While headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA's product manufacturing and development are distributed globally. Physical game discs and hardware are produced in various international facilities, while the core 'manufacturing' of their digital content happens across a network of global studios in countries including the United States, Canada, Sweden, Romania, and South Korea.

In a landmark move announced in late 2025, Electronic Arts entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by a consortium led by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), alongside Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. This $55 billion deal, which is set to finalize in mid-2026, transitions EA from a public company listed on the NASDAQ to a privately held entity primarily owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.