Electronic Arts takes major step in mobile gaming with $2.1 billion acquisition of Glu Mobile

Gaming giant Electronic Arts is making a big move in the mobile gaming world with the acquisition of Glu Mobile, a developer known for working on celebrity-focused titles. The US-based gaming giant announced a $2.1 billion deal.

Under the terms of the agreement, EA will acquire Glu for $2.1 billion in enterprise value. Glu is a mobile developer known for games like Design Home, Covet Fashion and MLB Tap Sports Baseball. The acquisition is described by EA as a move to significantly beef up its offerings on smartphones or tablets.

Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, said, “Our acquisition of Glu combines amazing teams and deeply-engaging products to create a mobile games leader with proven expertise across many fast-growing genres.” According to EA and Glu, the latter employs over 500 mobile game developers. EA has a mobile audience of over 100 million active monthly players.

Wilson added, “Mobile continues to grow as the biggest gaming platform in the world, and with the addition of Glu’s games and talent, we’re doubling the size of our mobile business. With a deep IP portfolio and an expanding global audience, we’ll deliver more exciting experiences for our players and drive further growth for Electronic Arts.”

As of now, there is no information about what new projects Glu might be working on under the Electronics Arts. EA said that a big reason for the acquisition was to combine Glu’s experience with casual games and EA’s “industry-leading IP in sports and beyond”. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of June, awaiting approval of regulators and Glu shareholders.