EA to remove Russia and Belarus from esports series
March 16, 2022
(Reuters) – Electronic Arts Inc said on Wednesday it would remove Russia and Belarus as eligible countries from its esports programs, as the video game publisher doubles down on its boycott of the countries following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Players and teams from Russia and Belarus are ineligible to participate in the Apex Legends Global Series and the EA SPORTS FIFA 22 Global Series, the company said in a statement on its website.
The invasion of Ukraine has prompted an exodus of global companies out of Russia. The boycott has also spilled over into sports, with sporting bodies like FIFA and UEFA suspending Russia’s national teams and clubs from international football.
Earlier this month, EA also stopped sales of its games, content and virtual currency in Russia and Belarus.
The “FIFA” publisher has also removed the Russian national team and all Russian football clubs from its popular videogame title “FIFA 22”.
(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)