EA/Nexon Buyout Rumor Debunked

Last week, reports began circulating that free-to-play publisher Nexon was set to purchase Electronic Arts. The rumor came via financial publication Bloomberg, who was tipped off by a report in a Korean newspaper stating that Nexon "contacted EA about making an offer."

Now, Bloomberg has debunked the report, revealing instead that talks between Nexon and EA are actually related to the South Korean distribution of EA's FIFA Online 2.

The news comes via three anonymous sources who claim that the companies are not discussing a merger, but instead are focused on "Nexon's online servers and developers in Asia," and specifically "Nexon's expertise in persuading players to spend real money on virtual items such as team jerseys and player-experience points."

Following the initial rumor, EA stock rose six percent, marking the highest stock price for the company since March. According to Bloomberg, the FIFA Online 2 partnership with Nexon could be finalized as early as next month.

Nexon declined to comment, but we've reached out to EA and will update with any additional information we receive.

Source: Bloomberg

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN's associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he's been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

• More Games News
• Latest Games News, Reviews, and Videos