Russia is off the board for Roblox, as the country's media regulatory body, the Roskomnadzor, blocks the game from Russian citizens. Included in its reasons for the block is the safety of children with regard to the multiple reports of abuse and child predators on the platform and the Roskomnadzor's concern that children will be exposed to what it defines as "inappropriate content," including in-game LGBTQ+ content.
First reported by local Russian publication TASS and spotted by BBC News, the Roskomnadzor cited the platform being "rife with inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children."
In response, a Roblox spokesperson said, "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."
"We have 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."
Roblox may be one of the more high-profile titles to be blocked by the Roskomnadzor, but it is hardly the first. Just last week, a solitaire game was banned on Steam in Russia for its LGBTQ+ content. And while much of the world would not agree with Russia's assessment that LGBTQ+ content is negative for the moral development of children, the overwhelming amount of reports and litigation that Roblox has faced over its lacklustre protections for children, which have resulted in predators abusing and assaulting kids, is not an unfair reason to block the popular game.
Roblox has been trying to make the platform a safer place for kids, and just last month introduced age verification via facial recognition to unlock the ability to use in-game chat features. Despite its issues and ongoing litigation, Robox continues to grow, and recently set a peak concurrent users record that surpassed Steam's overall concurrent record.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
