EA is removing Russian teams from its FIFA and NHL games

Russian national teams and professional clubs are being removed from some of the biggest sports games by Electronic Arts.

It is not clear when the teams will be pulled from the game, but the publisher says that it has initiated processes for their removal. The decision was made in line with our partners at the IIHF, as well as theFIFA. The governing bodies of global and European soccer and international hockey have recently banned Russian teams from all competition. The Russian players in both sports are unaffected by the decision.

The company said in its statement that it stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and that it calls for peace and an end to the invasion of Ukraine. In addition to removing teams,EA is actively evaluating related changes to other areas of our games.

This isn't the first time that the sports game has been altered 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.