Access to Roblox has been banned in Russia, as the country’s authorities have deemed it a host of “LGBT propaganda.”
Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor announced the move last night, news agency Reuters has reported, blocking the giant gaming platform to Russian citizens.
In a statement explaining its decision, Roskomnadzor said it had removed the ability to access Roblox as it was “rife with inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children.”
By many measures the biggest game in the world, with more than 151.1 million daily active users, Roblox hosts countless player-made game experiences — including breakout hits such as Grow a Garden and Steal a Brainrot that enjoy player counts bigger than anything on Steam.
It’s unclear exactly which games on the Roblox platform have prompted Russia’s ire, though the country has taken an increasingly strict approach to any content featuring LGBT themes in recent years. In 2013, Russia implemented the Law for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating a Denial of Traditional Family Values, which was designed to mark LGBT content as contradictory to traditional Russian values.
“We respect the local laws and regulations in the countries where we operate and believe Roblox provides a positive space for learning, creation and meaningful connection for everyone,” a spokesperson for the game said in a statement issued to Reuters. “[Roblox has] a deep commitment to safety and we have a robust set of proactive and preventative safety measures designed to catch and prevent harmful content on our platform.”
Russia isn’t the first country to block access to Roblox, though countries such as Iraq and Turkey which have also banned the game have done so citing concerns over child safety fears. Amid ballooning player numbers, and a user base primarily made up of users under 18, Roblox has spent the past year belatedly adding various features designed to improve its user safety, following a string of reports that have highlighted cases where users were contacted and groomed by adults.
Last month, Roblox announced plans to require facial age checks for all chat communication, with an aim to limit communication between minors and adults. The move came shortly after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton revealed a fresh lawsuit which claims Roblox has allegedly been “deceiving parents” and “flagrantly ignoring” child safety laws.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
