EA Removes Game Keys From Official Stores

Electronic Arts is withdrawing game keys from many official digital stores. As noted by well-known insider Wario64, the Humble store reported that as of March 4, it no longer sells games from the EA catalog. Customers can use the keys purchased on EA App or the Origin platform until 0:00 on March 16, (does not apply to games obtained through the Humble Bundle and Humble Choice).

We know that the issue does not only concern the Humble platform. Even earlier Electronic Arts games disappeared from several other stores, including GMG and Fanatical.

1. So far we don't know the reasons why EA is withdrawing its games from digital stores. Some predict the end of Origin and a switch to a "new" app, which the company has been testing for a long time (only that so far it was considered a change of name).
2. Others believe that Electronic Arts will abandon its own platform in favor of Steam, which would be understandable in the context of the success of the publisher's games there (or at least some of them).
3. Still others wonder if EA does not want to follow in the footsteps of Ubisoft, which some time ago dropped keys given to retailers in favor of "silent" and automatic activation of games (Silent Key Activation).

So far Electronic Arts has not issued any statement on this matter.

• EA / Electronic Arts
• stores
• Origin / EA App
• digital distribution