Russian media reports Roblox banned in the country

The popular online gaming platform Roblox has reportedly been prohibited in Russia, according to Russian state media sources. Roblox allows users to create, share, and play games crafted by the community, drawing comparisons to Minecraft for its creative and interactive environment.

The platform features a wide range of communities, including military roleplay groups and LGBTQ support networks. Russias legislation, however, categorizes public advocacy for LGBTQ issues as extremist activity.

Reports from TASS, a state-owned Russian news outlet, suggest that the presence of LGBTQ-related content contributed to the governments decision to block the service. Roblox has not publicly commented on the situation.

The move comes amid broader concerns over safety and content moderation on Roblox. Previous investigations have revealed instances where underage users were potentially exposed to online predators. In the United States, state attorneys general in Texas and Louisiana have launched legal inquiries into the platform.

In response, Roblox has rolled out tools for age verification and content moderation aimed at protecting younger users. Starting in January, the platform will require facial recognition to access chat features, a measure that has raised its own safety debates. Developers are also being asked to flag experiences focused on sensitive social, political, or religious topics so that parents of children under 13 can make informed decisions about access.

This initiative has drawn criticism from advocacy groups such as Out Making Games, Women in Games, and BAME in Games, which represent minority voices in the gaming industry. In a joint statement, they expressed concern over labeling topics like pay equity in sports as sensitive, arguing that parental controls should not compromise basic human dignity or silence important discussions.

According to app analytics firm Appfigures, Roblox has been downloaded approximately 70 million times on mobile devices in Russia, including around 8 million downloads this year alone.

Author: Connor Blake