“EA Sports stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and, like so many voices in the world of football, calls for peace and an end to the invasion of Ukraine. In agreement with our partners at FIFA and UEFA, EA Sports has initiated a process to remove the Russian national team and Russian clubs from EA Sports FIFA products, including FIFA 22, FIFA Mobile and FIFA Online.“, can we read in the communicated posted on Twitter. Note that Electronic Arts will proceed to the same measures with NHL 22, as can be read in a similar release.
As a reminder, FIFA and UEFA have decided to suspend the Russian national team from the next football world cup which will take place this fall in Qatar. Russian clubs are also excluded from European competitions until further notice, which concerns Spartak Moscow which was engaged in the Europa League. Many sports bodies have sanctioned Russia since the start of the military invasion led by Vladimir Putin.
This week, Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, in charge of digital development in Ukraine, challenged the video game industry to demand sanctions against Russia in the name of the defense of human rights. The minister wants manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft to temporarily cut off Russia’s access to gaming platforms. The minister also asked Electronic Arts and other publishers with studios or offices in Russia to stop their activities on the spot.
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