The crisis in Ukraine takes its toll on gamers in Russia and Belarus after EA announced they will suspend the sale of their games and in-game currencies in the two countries.
After the removal of all Russian clubs and national team from FIFA 22, Electronic Arts confirmed that all their titles including FIFA 22 will not be available anymore in Russia and Belarus including all in-game virtual currencies such as FIFA Points.
EA Sports has decided to remove π·πΊ Russia National Team from #FIFA22 following the invasion of πΊπ¦ Ukraine according to @_Tom_Henderson_! pic.twitter.com/l2aXJ5ec5S
— ππππππππ ππΎ (@theinfinityfc) March 2, 2022
“We continue to be shocked at the conflict that is unfolding in Ukraine, and join so many voices around the world in calling for peace and an end to the invasion. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Our primary concern is the ongoing safety of those in the region, particularly colleagues and partners, and we are seeking to understand how we might best help them further beyond our programs that are already in place.” EA said in their statement.
“We have made the decision to stop sales of our games and content, including virtual currency bundles, in Russia and Belarus while this conflict continues. As a result, our games and content will no longer be available for purchase in our Russian region storefront on Origin or the EA app, including through in-game stores. We are also working with our platform partners to remove our titles from their stores and stop the sale of new in-game content in the region.”
“As this deeply troubling situation evolves, weβre continually reviewing the steps we can take. In addition to changes to our EA SPORTS FIFA and NHL games, we are actively evaluating other areas of our games and operations, and will update with any further actions.”
For now players in Russia and Belarus can still play online but they won’t be able to acquire virtual currencies or new games released by Electronic Arts on Origin or the EA app.