Welcome to the TechBrew Ride Home for Monday, September 29th, 2025.

I'm Brian McCullough today.

The biggest sign yet of the state of the gaming industry, EA is being taken private.

DeepSeaks new model might start a new AI price war.

OpenAI announces their parental controls for teen users, and the Wall

Street Journal says debt financing is now playing an increasing role in AI CapEx buildout.

Here's what you miss today in the world of tech.

One of the biggest players in all of gaming EA has agreed to be acquired by Saudi Arabia's

PIF Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's affinity partners for $210 per share, taking it private

at around a $55 billion valuation. This is not only one of the biggest deals ever in gaming,

but it is also apparently the largest

leverage buyout on record and represents a 25% premium on EA's October 26th close. It is also

yet another bearish sign of the times for the beleaguered gaming industry. Quoting the journal,

the transaction consists of $36 billion in equity from the investors and $20 billion in debt financing

from J.P. Morgan Chase. Chief Executive Andrew Wilson will continue leading EA. The deal is expected

to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2027. EA, which makes video games including

FC, formerly known as FIFA and Madden NFL,

saw its stock slide 17% in one day earlier this year after the company reported soft results

for its soccer gaming business. But shares have since rebounded with investors anticipating

the release of the latest version of EA's Battlefield

First Person Shooter franchise. For Saudi Arabia's public investment fund, the deal marks a continued

push into the video game industry. The fund already had a 10% stake in EA in addition to a minority

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