December 11, 2025

Game Over for Roblox?


Game Over for Roblox?
Children playing Roblox in front of a television. Henry Burrows, Wikimedia Commons.

On December 3, Russia officially banned the online video game Roblox, one of the world's most popular games for kids, for "propagating materials of extremist tendencies and LGBT propaganda themes."

Roblox is Russia's most downloaded game, with over 10 million people installing it on their devices. It's estimated that 7 million people played the video game every day in Russia. On the platform, gamers create their own game or join one of the tens of millions of existing rooms available. Roblox is known for being a social game where players can chat with each other in groups or privately, and even engage in voice conversations.

On December 3, Russian users started reporting that Roblox was not working. Later that day, Roskomnadzor confirmed the gaming platform had been blocked in Russia. A representative of the government agency said, "The gaming space contains a large amount of inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children, creating conditions and preconditions for illegal activities."

Roblox has faced international backlash over concerns about cyberbullying and children's safety against groomers. The game has also faced criticism for containing material inappropriate for young audiences. Turkey, Qatar, and Iraq have blocked access to Roblox in their territories over this issue.

Roblox has become a public square, thus drawing the government's attention. Kids have attended pro-Palestinian and anti-ICE protests on the platform. There is a game within Roblox that deals with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China blocked the game, saying it propagated "anti-Communist propaganda."

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, gaming companies such as Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft left the country's market. However, Roblox continued to operate in Russia. In July, Roskomnadzor had ordered the American company to restrict games that contained "LGBT" in their name and remove queer characters. Roblox complied

Russian gamers didn't stay silent. Shortly after the ban was announced, the hashtag #vernitieroblox ("bring back Roblox") trended across Russian social media. Petitions calling for Roskomnadzor to restore access to the game have widely circulated online. Gamers have complained that they lost money on recent in-game purchases they had made on Roblox. Other users have claimed to have "psychological damage" due to the game's ban.

Roblox can still be accessed using a VPN. However, the banned Russian media outlet Meduza warned that children could be vulnerable to scammers who offer them alternatives to the game.

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