Electronic Arts Inc.
Acquisitions
5
Major Deals Covered
$3.8B
Disclosed Deal Value
Electronic Arts's largest disclosed acquisition here is Glu Mobile for $2.1B in 2021. This page covers 5 major deals from 1995 to 2021, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.
| Company | Year | Price | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respawn Entertainment | 2017 | $455.0M | EA acquired Respawn Entertainment, founded by former Call of Duty leads Vince Zampella and Jason West, for up to $455M including incentive payments. |
| Glu Mobile | 2021 | $2.1B | EA acquired Glu Mobile for about $2.1B in enterprise value to expand its mobile business with franchises such as Design Home, Covet Fashion and MLB Tap Sports Baseball. |
| Codemasters | 2021 | $1.2B | EA acquired Codemasters for about $1.2B in 2021, outbidding Take-Two, to add F1, DiRT, GRID and WRC racing games. |
| Bullfrog Productions | 1995 | Undisclosed | Electronic Arts Inc. acquired Bullfrog Productions in 1995. |
| Westwood Studios | 1998 | Undisclosed | Electronic Arts Inc. acquired Westwood Studios in 1998. |
2021
$2.1B
EA acquired Glu Mobile for about $2.1B in enterprise value to expand its mobile business with franchises such as Design Home, Covet Fashion and MLB Tap Sports Baseball.
The deal added mobile live-operations and monetization expertise to EA's portfolio.
Glu titles became part of EA's mobile segment.
2021
$1.2B
EA acquired Codemasters for about $1.2B in 2021, outbidding Take-Two, to add F1, DiRT, GRID and WRC racing games.
The deal gave EA the official Formula 1 game license.
Codemasters now develops EA SPORTS F1 and WRC titles.
2017
$455M
EA acquired Respawn Entertainment, founded by former Call of Duty leads Vince Zampella and Jason West, for up to $455M including incentive payments.
Respawn went on to make Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor.
Respawn is one of EA's most important studios.
1998
Electronic Arts Inc. acquired Westwood Studios in 1998.
1995
Electronic Arts Inc. acquired Bullfrog Productions in 1995.
EA's growth strategy centers on its biggest franchises: expanding EA SPORTS FC, Madden NFL and College Football as year-round platforms, rebuilding Battlefield as a live service after Battlefield 6's 2025 launch, and broadening The Sims through new creator and multiplayer projects. Mobile remains a pillar after the 2021 Codemasters and Glu Mobile deals. Under its new owners, EA has also emphasized AI-assisted development and cost discipline.
EA earns money in three ways. Live services and other revenue ($5.383B, or 71% of fiscal 2026 net revenue) comes from Ultimate Team packs and currency, seasonal passes, cosmetic items in Apex Legends, Sims expansion packs, the EA Play subscription, mobile in-app purchases, advertising and licensing. Full-game sales ($2.148B in fiscal 2026) come from premium releases such as EA SPORTS FC, Madden NFL, College Football and Battlefield, sold mostly as digital downloads on PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch. Annual sports releases anchor the model: players buy the new edition each year and then keep spending inside its live-service modes.
Key historical acquisitions include Respawn Entertainment (2017 for $455 million), Codemasters (2021 for $1.2 billion), Glu Mobile (2021 for $2.1 billion), BioWare & Pandemic (2007 for $860 million), DICE (2006), PopCap Games (2011 for $750 million), and Maxis (1997).
Acquiring Respawn Entertainment brought well-known creators Vince Zampella and his team to EA, generating billions in high-margin revenue through the stealth launch of battle royale sensation Apex Legends and the critically acclaimed Star Wars Jedi franchise.
In March 2021, EA outbid Take-Two Interactive to acquire Codemasters for $1.2 billion, uniting Formula 1 (F1), WRC, DiRT, and GRID with EA's Need for Speed to create the world's leader in racing games.
EA acquired mobile gaming pioneer Glu Mobile for $2.1 billion in enterprise value, adding top mobile live-service franchises (Design Home, Covet Fashion, MLB Tap Sports Baseball) and doubling the scale of EA Mobile.
EA acquired Swedish game studio Digital Illusions CE (DICE), gaining the blockbuster Battlefield franchise and DICE's proprietary Frostbite game engine, which became the technological backbone for EA's global studios.
EA acquired Maxis (founded by Will Wright), which led to the creation and launch of 'The Sims' in 2000. The Sims grew into one of the best-selling and longest-running life-simulation franchises in gaming history, selling hundreds of millions of units.
EA prefers acquisitions that add established IP, proven creative teams or mobile live-service expertise, such as Respawn, Codemasters and Glu Mobile.
EA operates a studio-centric model: allowing creative teams (like Respawn and BioWare) to retain their distinct studio culture and creative vision, while providing centralized corporate support in Frostbite engine tech, QA, marketing, and global distribution.
EA has a highly controversial reputation for executing massive acquisitions (Maxis, Westwood, BioWare) and eventually shutting them down if they fail to produce massive blockbuster hits. However, their $455 million acquisition of Respawn Entertainment (Apex Legends, Jedi Survivor) in 2017 is considered one of the best acquisitions in gaming history.
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