Electronic Arts is working to repair Origin access in Myanmar, where the platform has reportedly been blocked since last month.
The ban, which made waves on Reddit over the weekend, prevents Origin users in the Southeast Asian country from playing games purchased through EA’s digital service, like Titanfall and Battlefield. When trying to log in, some are met with an “Access Denied” notice that says they “don’t have permission” to visit the Origin URL.
“We are working to restore access to Origin for our players in Myanmar,” an EA community manager wrote in the company forum. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and we’ll share updates on timing as soon as possible.”
A support volunteer—not an employee of the game maker—said “US laws forced [EA] to block certain countries,” suggesting economic sanctions levied against Myanmar are the cause of the blocking. However, earlier this month, President Obama lifted 19-year-old trade sanctions on the country.
“The move to block Myanmar was likely a business decision that they blamed on the US government,” Redditor trivial_sublime, who first brought attention to the issue, wrote in a Monday post.
“Sanctions did not prohibit [EA] from doing business in Maynmar,” the post continued. “Instead, they likely wanted to limit their potential legal liability, and their customers paid the price. If they took away Myanmar’s access because they want to reduce their exposure to liability, they can do it to you, too.”
