EA CEO earned $38.6M the same year he cut the devs behind America's best-selling game — and may gain $125M more

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Since Andrew Wilson became CEO of Electronic Arts in September of 2013, the video game publisher's stock has shot up more than 700% to nearly $210 today. But even with those sorts of gains and heading negotiations for what would be the largest leveraged buyout ever, Wilson has still rankled some investors, employees and gamers.

The most recent eyebrow-raising event came with the revelation that Wilson earned $38.6 million in the recently completed 2026 fiscal year. That's an 8% increase over the previous year—and it comes months after the company cut an unknown number of jobs from the studio that created Battlefield 6. That game was a huge success for EA, becoming the best-selling game in the U.S. last year, with more than 7 million copies sold in its first three days.

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It was the success of Battlefield 6 that likely led to Wilson's higher salary last year, so in light of the layoffs, the gaming community is up in arms.

Investors unlikely to react

As much as players are grumbling on message boards and industry developers are taking note, investors aren't likely to say much, if anything.

That's because Electronic Arts' 36-year run as a public company is expected to come to an end on Aug. 4, as the leveraged buy out by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake and Affinity Partners is set to be finalized.

"As of July 30, 2026, all regulatory approvals required to complete the Merger have been obtained," the company wrote in an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "Electronic Arts currently expects the Merger to close on or about the close of trading on August 4, 2026."

The company will continue to be headquartered in Redwood City, Calif. and Wilson will continue as CEO.

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A potential big payday

"I am excited to continue as CEO, working alongside our leadership team to advance our strategy," Wilson wrote in September 2025 when announcing the deal. "United by our vision, we will deliver experiences that transcend platforms and empower players everywhere to create worlds, characters, and stories that are bold, interactive, and deeply connected."

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Should the unexpected happen, however, and Wilson is pushed out as CEO, the agreement stipulates that he would be in line for significant severance benefits.

According to the agreement, if Wilson is terminated without cause within 18 months of the deal's close, he stands to gain more than $125 million in severance, stock and other financial rewards.

The chances that he will be laid off are slim, however. Wilson is respected among his industry peers. And while the layoffs of part of the team behind Battlefield 6 were curious, given the game's success, they were ultimately just a drop in the bucket for the industry overall.

Many video game companies have been paring staff in the past year as expenses increase and player interest wanes as major consoles age. Microsoft, in early July, announced layoffs for roughly 20% of its Xbox division, with 1,600 jobs being cut immediately and another 1,600 set to occur in the coming months.

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This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: EA CEO earned $38.6M the same year he cut the devs behind America's best-selling game — and may gain $125M more

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