EA Sports has often used the slogan "If it's in the game, it's in the game" (or a shortened version) to highlight its simulated fidelity to the real world. So it's perhaps not too surprising that former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice will be removed from Madden NFL 15 following his indefinite suspension from the real world NFL yesterday.

Rice had already been serving a two-game suspension for a domestic abuse incident involving his then-fiance Janay Palmer in a hotel elevator earlier this year. On Monday, Rice was dropped from the Ravens and then suspended indefinitely by the NFL after TMZ posted a video of Rice knocking Palmer out, obtained from the elevator's surveillance camera.

"With Ray Rice's indefinite suspension from the NFL, he will be removed from Madden NFL 15," EA Sports said in a short statement. "This roster change will take place by this Friday."

While Rice obviously won't be removed from discs that have already shipped, he will be taken out of the game via a weekly roster update, which is automatically downloaded when a player is online. Existing "career mode" games that had been started before the change, either online or offline, will still be able to use Rice going forward, according to Polygon's Owen Good.

This isn't the first time EA has made an in-game change in response to real-world misbehavior. Last year, New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was removed from both Madden NFL and NCAA Football franchises after being charged with the murder of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. Madden and other sports games routinely remove players week to week to reflect real world injuries and suspensions.

EA Sports has also made a number of changes to the game in response to concerns from the league, removing features such as an on-field ambulance carting players away and adding features like mandatory game removals for concussed players.