The squads are leaving the sports gamesin response to the invasion of Ukraine
Electronic Arts says it will remove Russian teams from severalFIFAgames, as well as itsNHLseries. The national team and all Russian clubs will be removed fromFIFA 22,Mobile, andOnline, andNHL 22.
This lines up its partnersFIFA and UEFA’s recent decisionto suspend all Russian clubs and national teams from competition. EA says it is also “actively evaluating” other related changes to other areas of its games. The IIHF alsoannounced a similar rulingover Russian and Belarusian teams.
These moves are in response tothe ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia. “EA Sports stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and like so many voices across the world of football, calls for peace and an end to the invasion of Ukraine,” readstoday’s statement.
— EA SPORTS FC (@EASPORTSFC)Jun 09, 2025
EA is nowone of several tech companieswho have altered their services in response to the invasion.
The games industry has been issuing responses on the matter throughout the week as well. Several game studios in Ukrainehave spoken on the matter, and many studios and publishers are calling for humanitarian support and offering donations, through game sales and their own contributions.
This isn’t the first time EA Sports games have had to respond to real-world issues. In 2020, theWashington NFL team namewas updated to a generic one inMadden NFL 21. And last year,Maddenreplaced Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Grudenwith a generic likenessover reports on remarks he’d made.
