Now that the $55 billion deal seeing EA go private under Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is done and dusted, the former two are reportedly looking to purchase another big name in gaming: Unity.
The EA buyout hasn't been a simple process, to say the least, with the studio facing backlash following the closure of BioWare and cancellation of Mass Effect 5, but it's settled – legally, anyway – nonetheless.
As for Unity, news of its own potential move under the PIF and Silver Lake's wing comes directly from Reuters, which claims to learn as much from anonymous "people familiar with the matter." So, what exactly is happening?
Well, according to the report, Unity – also operating as Unity Software Inc. and Unity Technologies or simply Unity – is in talks regarding its acquisition, with Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia's PIF at the forefront.
If you're out of the loop on what Unity itself is, it's most well-known for its cross-platform game engine, which powers quite a few notable titles, both AAA and indie. Think everything from Genshin Impact to Among Us.
As for the possible deal, it's important to note that Silver Lake already owns about 8% of Unity. And, as per Reuters, it recently approached the company alongside the PIF in, discussing a valuation of some $25 billion.
The parties involved haven't struck any sort of solid deal yet, however, with Unity supposedly working with an investment bank to see all of its options before anything concrete occurs.
It's difficult to tell just what will happen at this point, but I'm certain this will spur a good bit of discussion among developers and users alike. For instance, what could this buyout mean for Unity, should it happen?
That remains to be seen – and, sadly, neither Unity, Silver Lake, nor the PIF responded to Reuters' requests for comment, so this is all we're working with in terms of public knowledge about the deal… should it be underway, that is.
