EA is removing Russian teams from its FIFA and NHL games

Electronic Arts has announced that it is in the process of removing both the Russian national teams and the country's professional clubs from some of its biggest sports games.

This will include NHL 22, FIFA 22, FIFA Online and FIFA Mobile; It is unclear when the teams will be pulled from the game, but the publisher says it has "started the process" to remove them. EA says the decision was made "in line with our partners at FIFA and UEFA", as well as at the IIHF. Those governing bodies - which manage global and European football and international hockey respectively - recently banned Russian teams from all competitions "until further notice". In addition to the Russian teams, the NHL will also remove 22 Belarusian clubs. The decision does not affect the presence of Russian players in any games.

"EA Sports stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and, like many other voices in the football world, calls for peace and an end to the invasion of Ukraine," the company said in its statement. In addition to removing teams, EA says it is "actively evaluating related changes in other areas of our game." EA joins other tech companies, including Apple, Facebook and YouTube, in changing or removing their services in connection with the Russian invasion.

This isn't the first time EA has changed its game due to real-world events. In 2020, it was forced to change the now-Washington Commanders' offensive name to Madden, and last year, it removed Las Vegas Raiders coach John Gruden from the game following an email scandal.