EA halts participation of teams from Russia and Belarus for Apex Legends and FIFA 22 Global Series

The current Ukraine-Russia conflict has resulted in a boycott movement from multiple game publishers. Electronic Arts has taken it further with its FIFA 22 and Apex Legends franchises.

Earlier this month, Electronic Arts temporarily discontinued its services in the Russian and Belarusian regions. While the previous suspension was in effect, Electronic Arts updated its policies and expanded it to include FIFA and Apex Legends Global Series.

According to the publishers, Apex Legends and FIFA esports will not consider teams from Russia and Belarus eligible for their Global Series, which wasn’t done before. To uphold their statement, Electronic Arts yet again justified their stance by quoting,

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.”

While public opinion remains mixed on the issue, the publisher has decided to keep their standpoint firm and continue to do so.

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FIFA and Apex Legends Global Series are not going to recognize Russian and Belarusian teams after temporary sanction

Electronics Arts enacted sanctions on consumers from Russia and Belarus on March 4, 2022, and confirmed it after putting an official update on their website. Around this time, multiple game publishers and developers boycotted their services to show their support for Ukraine.

While many believe that mere citizens shouldn’t be involved in governmental affairs, on the contrary, many think otherwise. Which makes Electronic Arts’ decision look controversial. However, it is an internal matter of its own.

The policy is being extended again, including the esports sector confirms EA’s firmness on the matter. Hence, the situation remains that EA will not be giving any of their services, including virtual currency, bundles, and other content, from the publisher.

On the plus side, these sanctions are only temporary, and it is hoped that these regions will get services once the problem is settled. However, as of now, Russian and Belarusian players will not get to play games from EA at the moment.