United Kingdom, Aug. 5 -- Electronic Arts has completed its $55 billion takeover by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

Marking one of the biggest acquisitions in video game history and ending the company's decades-long run as a publicly traded business, the deal, which also includes Affinity Partners - the investment firm led by Jared Kushner - takes the publisher behind EA Sports FC, The Sims, Battlefield and Mass Effect into private ownership, prompting fresh debate over the future direction of one of the gaming industry's most influential companies.

The acquisition, valued at $55 billion (£41 billion), was finalised after months of regulatory and financial negotiations.

Under the agreement, all publicly ...