EA APP：platform reasons led to login failure

I bought The Sims 4 on Steam, and I still don't get why I have to open EA App to play it—or why opening the game through EA App requires Steam too. Who came up with this ridiculously dumb design? If you're going to make me link both accounts, I should be able to launch the game directly from either platform without jumping through hoops.

Anyway, now it's gotten even worse. Ever since the most recent update, about 8 out of 10 times I try to log in, I get a pop-up saying "platform reasons led to login failure." To actually get into the game, I have to keep smashing the "Play" button in EA App, wait like 30 seconds, and then get hit with a "try again later" message. If I'm unlucky, I might need to do that ten or twenty times before the Sims 4 window finally shows up. I've tried logging out and back into both Steam and the EA App multiple times, but nothing helps. My internet is fine—I even bought a VPN, just to rule that out. But honestly? It doesn't make a difference whether the VPN is on or off.