Niantic

Saudi PIF-led consortium completes $55B EA buyout

Led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, a consortium including Silver Lake and Affinity Partners completed a $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts in early August 2026, taking the company private in what is described as the largest leveraged buyout in history. PIF holds 93.4% (Silver Lake 5.5%, Affinity 1.1%); shareholders received $210 in cash per share (about a 25% premium) and EA was delisted from Nasdaq. The transaction, announced September 2025 and approved December 22, 2025, converted executive equity to cash (CEO Andrew Wilson stood to receive roughly $105.9m per an SEC filing). PIF is reportedly borrowing $20 billion from adviser JPMorgan to help finance the deal. Analysts warn the high debt load could prompt a focus on safe franchises or cost cuts, even as the buyers signal intent to invest in growth, mobile user acquisition and AI-driven development.

Scopely restructures Stumble Guys team

Scopely reorganised the team supporting its game Stumble Guys after a performance review, saying the changes could impact a limited number of roles. The company indicated it has transitioned some affected employees to other parts of the business and is supporting those who leave. Public posts from employees reported departures, including one senior producer who said they were laid off after returning from paternity leave. The restructuring follows Scopely's recent renaming of the Niantic games business it acquired to 'Scopely Explore.'

Niantic Spatial Closes New Zealand Office

Niantic Spatial is closing its Aotearoa (New Zealand) office as it shifts focus away from games toward enterprise markets. Creative director James Everett confirmed the closure in a LinkedIn post, which the company said has resulted in an undisclosed number of layoffs; Everett indicated at least ten employees were laid off. Niantic Spatial was formed after Niantic Inc sold its licensed games business to Scopely in 2025 and the spinout previously secured $250 million to develop a large AI-powered geospatial model for use cases such as autonomous systems and AR glasses. The company continues to operate the AR title Ingress and discontinued Peridot earlier this year.