[Update] EA Sports Removes Russian Players And National Team From FIFA 22

Big news: EA Sports is the first major game developer to react and ban all Russian players as well as the national team from FIFA 22. After a long wait and speculation as to whether the whole thing will happen at all, Title Update 9 finally removes players and clubs.

FIFA 22 Russland Russia
EA finally reacts to the war in Ukraine. | © EA Sports

On March 2, EA Sports announced that they will remove Russian clubs from FIFA. It became official on April 13th: With Title Update 9, EA has finally reacted and removed the Russian players and clubs from FIFA 22. Of course, we ask ourselves now: When will they come back to a FIFA?

Russian Players And Clubs Removed From FIFA 22 – When Will They Come Back?

In line with real world actions taken by our partners at FIFA and UEFA,this Title Update includes the removal of the Russian national team andall other Russian teams.

That's the statement in Title Update 9. Of course, we don't know when exactly the players and clubs will be back in the game. Of course, that also depends on the situation in Ukraine. If Russia's war continues, it could also be that FIFA 23 will be released without Russian teams and players.We will keep you up to date on this.

Status Update from April 8: EA Has NOT Removed Russian Players From FIFA 22

EA asked in their statement of 02 March 2022 for patience for the fact that the removal of the players and clubs could last. But now we have already April and exactly nothing happened. After all, it is possible for EA to remove icons like Diego Maradona or Marc Overmars from the FUT packs. The same should be possible with the Russian players - but here it's due to reasons we don't know.

It is also not due to the fact that no updates for FIFA 22 have been released since March 02, because exactly the opposite is the case. In one of these updates the teams could have been removed, nothing happened. We don't want to push any political statements or consequences on this, but if EA announces to take the measures, then they should put them into action.

Russian teams are still playable in FIFA Ultimate Team as well as in the online modes Seasons and Coop and in the offline modes Kick-off and Volta. As soon as there is news about this topic, we will let you know here. It's about time, EA. Below, you can read the original announcement and EA's statement.

Original Article: EA Wants To Remove Russian Players From FIFA 22

On the evening of March 02 something historic happens in the world of esports. EA Sports reacts for the first time clearly to the political developments in the world and removes all Russian players and the Russian national team from FIFA 22 due to solidarity with Ukraine. We already wrote a few days ago about the fact that EA has to react to the crisis. After UEFA has already excluded all Russian teams from international competitions, this now applies to the online world as well.

A important step that EA is taking. But maybe it happens a few days too late. However, you can never really please everyone. At the same time, rumors are circulating that Roman Abramovich wants to sell Chelsea FC. These are just crazy times, when solidarity actions are more important than ever.

EA Sports Wants To Cancel Russian Players And The Russian National Team From FIFA 22

To make this clear to our readership: Neither we, nor EA, nor the rest of the world has not the slightest hatred against the Russian people, let alone against Russian athletes, footballers and clubs. They are people like us. People who have to suffer under their regime, which is now facing the consequences in really all aspects of life. Even in our online world, attention is being drawn to this. But why are Russian athletes so categorically excluded? They have nothing to do with the war, of course. And we don't want to get too political, either. But these sanctions only go against Putin, no other Russian is to be attacked with them. But the changes must come from within Russia; little will happen from the outside. And that is only possible if something changes. This statement by EA is only a very small part of the whole.

FIFA 22: EA Makes A Statement

To what extent further solidary actions on the part of EA will come, is not known yet. Here is the official statement via Twitter:

This means that legend Lev Yashin as well as FUT hero Aleksandr Mostovoi will also be removed from Ultimate Team. However, if you have already packed them, they will still be in your FUT squad.

Jonas Sohns

Content Creator for Sports Games & FIFA. Jonas studied sports journalism in Munich and has been working for EarlyGame since 2021. His favorite games are FIFA, Madden NFL and Formula 1....