Well folks, this just got a tad more real.

Electronic Arts has taken out a $1 billion load from Morgan Stanley and lenders to help pay for its acquisition of Take Two, should it ever happen. The figure was revealed in recently released SEC filings. According to EA VP of communications Jeff Brown, "There's no news here. This is just a process point on something we announced in February."

As Kotaku points out, EA's got plenty of cash on hand to purchase Take Two, so why borrow more? "It helps us maintain maximum flexibility for any opportunities," Brown further noted.

Take Two hasn't given a comment at this time.