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Video Game Giant EA To Be Sold In $50 Billion Mega-Deal

• Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

The video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) is in the final stages of a $50 billion deal to go private, according to anonymous sources. If it succeeds, it would become one of the largest buyouts in history.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

• EA is in the final stages of a $50 billion deal to go private.
• Investors include Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, private-equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners.
• The potential acquisition raises concerns in the gaming industry.

According to the Wall Street Journal , sources familiar with the matter said that the group of investors involved in the negotiation includes Jared Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF)—which already owns 10% of EA—, and private-equity firm Silver Lake.

Saudi Arabia’s interest in the acquisition has to do with the country’s strategy to reduce dependence on oil and its focus on video games—in 2021, it launched Savvy Games Group to invest in esports and video games. PIF also holds stakes in other major gaming companies, including Activision Blizzard.

EA has created hugely popular franchises such as EA Sports FC (formerly known as FIFA ), Madden NFL , Need for Speed , and The Sims, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary . Over the past decades, EA has built a strong legacy and established itself as one of the largest video game companies in the world. However, the potential acquisition raises concerns in the gaming industry.

According to Bloomberg , this massive deal may reflect challenges in the industry, which is currently experiencing slower growth. The acquisition has been seen by experts as part of a trend toward consolidation, as gamers appear more inclined to revisit established favorites rather than adopt new titles.

“We’re moving away from an era of breaking new ideas to people settling into the same games, spending money over and over again,” said analyst and Spilt Milk Studios co-founder Nicholas Lovell to Bloomberg. The expert also suggested that EA’s valuation could begin to decline soon.

According to CNBC , after news of the $50 billion deal broke on Friday—one of the largest in Wall Street history—EA shares jumped about 15%. The deal is expected to be officially announced later this week.

Image by Clint Patterson. From Unsplash

Akira Ransomware Exploits SonicWall VPN Accounts

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

The Akira ransomware group has started attacking SonicWall firewalls across the globe, via stolen login information and security weaknesses, to bypass MFA and encrypt networks.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

• Akira ransomware exploits SonicWall firewalls since July 2025.
• Attackers use stolen credentials and MFA bypass to gain access.
• MySonicWall cloud backup incident adds to security concerns.

Arctic Wolf Labs has identified a new wave of ransomware attacks which target SonicWall firewalls, with intrusions beginning in late July 2025, and continuing to this day. The campaign uses stolen login credentials together with a serious security vulnerability to bypass security systems.

“Threat actors obtained initial access through malicious SSL VPN logins with successful OTP Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) challenge, and deployed Akira ransomware,” Arctic Wolf explained. Attackers performed network scanning operations followed by lateral movement through Impacket and encryption of data within a short time frame.

The hackers are believed to be exploiting CVE-2024-40766, an “improper access control vulnerability” first disclosed in 2024. Attackers who have stolen login credentials can still exploit patched devices as the security of these devices remains at risk.

SonicWall has confirmed that compromised login credentials continue to function across various SonicOS system versions.

Adding to the concerns, SonicWall recently acknowledged an unrelated incident involving its MySonicWall cloud backup service. The company said it was not a ransomware attack, but “the full extent of this breach may not yet be fully known.”

The victim base reaches various sectors, according to Arctic Wolf, because attackers carry out “opportunistic mass exploitation.” The group observed that attackers managed to bypass MFA security measures, though the exact method remains unclear.

With ransomware “dwell time” measured in just hours, experts say early detection is critical. Arctic Wolf advised organizations to watch for suspicious VPN logins from hosting providers and anomalous SMB activity.

“Because dwell time is typically measured in hours, detecting and disrupting the activity early is essential to prevent ransomware encryption and data theft,” the company warned.