EA Sports to Remove All Russian Clubs from NHL 22, FIFA 22 After Ukraine Invasion

EA Sports will remove the Russian national team and all licensed Russian clubs from FIFA 22 in response to the country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

"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," the company said.

EA Sports is taking the same step with national and club teams from Russia and Belarus in NHL 22:

EA Sports didn't obtain the full licensing rights for the Russian Premier League, the country's highest soccer division. But FIFA 22 does include CSKA Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow and Spartak Moscow.

In December, EA Sports announced its partnership with the International Ice Hockey Federation, which opened the door for international teams and competitions in NHL 22.

Wednesday's announcements follows widespread condemnation toward Russia from international sporting organizations.

FIFA and UEFA suspended the Russian national team from international competition indefinitely. That could jeopardize the status of the men's national team for the 2022 World Cup. Russia was scheduled to play Poland in a qualifying fixture on March 24.

UEFA also moved the Champions League final from Saint Petersburg, Russia, to Paris and severed its partnership with Russian multinational Gazprom.

The IIHF rolled out an indefinite ban for Belarus and Russia as well and will move the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships from its original host city of Novosibirsk, Russia.