BT and EA SPORTS kick off Hope United Kit in FIFA 22 Ultimate Team

• BT and EA SPORTS ask players to take a stand against online hate by playing with the Hope United kit
• For the latest Tech Tips on how to fight back against online hate when gaming, visit bt.com/ hopeunited

To mark Safer Internet Day, BT has teamed up with EA SPORTS to offer FIFA 22 Ultimate Team (FUT) players the Hope United kit.

Available for free via FUT Season Objectives BT and EA SPORTS are encouraging FIFA 22 players to equip their Ultimate Team with the kit in-game to help stand against online hate.

BT are also launching a new Tech Tip to help gamers tackle online hate, Trent Alexander Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Michail Antonio will share information on how to report abuse while online gaming.

In addition BT Sport will host a Hope United FIFA Challenge, which will see footballers Declan Rice, Michail Antonio, Danielle Carter and Trent Alexander-Arnold and four of the best FIFA esport players, Tekkz, Lisa Manley, FUTcrunch and Ebru, battle it out for the Hope Cup, while opening up on their own experiences of online hate. This will be shown on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport’s YouTube channel on Wednesday 8^th February at 6pm.

Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director BT, said “We are delighted to work alongside one of the industry’s leading developers, and one of the most popular game series of all time, to showcase the Hope United initiative and continue to shine a light and fight back against the online abuse people face every day.  We hope this campaign will remind people that hate has no place in any game, and what they can do to combat it.”

James Salmon, EA SPORTS FIFA Marketing Director, said “Video games should be fun, fair, and safe for everyone, we want players to enjoy the best possible experience online. We take our responsibilities seriously, providing tools and helping players understand how to use them effectively. That’s why we’ve joined forces with BT Hope United and stand alongside them in asking our players to tackle online hate together.”

BT’s Hope United campaign was launched ahead of Euro 2020 with the aim of raising awareness of, and stamping out, online hate. Backed by players from across the Home Nations, including Marcus Rashford, Gareth Bale, Andy Robertson, Lucy Bronze and many more, the initiative offers the nation Tech Tips equipping them with the digital skills needed to tackle online hate and become good digital citizens.