Electronic Arts has announced that it’s in the process of removing both Russian national teams and the country’s professional clubs from some of its biggest sports games.
That will include NHL 22, FIFA 22, FIFA Online, and FIFA Mobile; it’s not clear when the teams will be pulled from the game, but the publisher says that it has “initiated processes” for their removal. EA says that the decision was made “in line with our partners at FIFA and UEFA,” as well as the IIHF. Those governing bodies — which manage global and European soccer and international hockey, respectively — recently banned Russian teams from all competitions “until further notice.” In addition to the Russian teams, NHL 22 will also be removing Belarusian clubs as well. The decision does not appear to impact the presence of Russian players in either sport.
“EA Sports stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and like so many other voices across the world of football, calls for peace and an end to the invasion of Ukraine,” the company said in its statement. In addition to removing teams, EA says that it is “actively evaluating related changes to other areas of our games.” EA joins other tech companies, including Apple, Facebook, and YouTube, in either altering or removing their services in relation to the Russian invasion.
This isn’t the first time EA has altered its sports games due to real-world events. In 2020, it was forced to change the offensive name of the now-Washington Commanders in Madden, and last year, it removed Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden from the game following an email scandal.
