Russia is Banning Discord

Russia is reportedly preparing to impose a ban on Discord shortly, thereby limiting access to the widely used messaging platform within the nation. Since its launch in 2015, Discord has emerged as one of the leading messaging and community applications online, attracting over 200 million monthly users globally.

The platform serves as a central meeting point for gamers seeking to connect with others who share similar interests, and it hosts numerous official game servers. However, a segment of Discord’s user base may soon be unable to access the service.

In light of the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, which has persisted since 2022, Russia has implemented numerous restrictions and prohibitions on Western services. Following the onset of the war, the country banned access to Instagram and, more recently, enacted a ban on YouTube earlier this year. Additionally, the Russian government has targeted several popular video games, restricting access to titles such as Apex Legends and The Last of Us. Now, it appears that Discord may also face a similar fate in Russia.

According to a report by PCGamer, Russia is set to initiate a ban on Discord across the country. This proposed action follows recent decisions by Russia’s state media regulator against Discord, which asserted that the platform did not adequately prevent users from accessing information deemed illegal by the government. There are indications that the ban may already be in effect, as numerous Russian users have reported experiencing outages and have turned to VPNs to access the platform. The Russian news outlet Kommersant has indicated that the ban is expected to be implemented “in the coming days.”

The proposed ban on Discord in Russia is poised to affect the gaming community within the country significantly. Vasily Ovchinnikov, the head of the Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry, has indicated that many Russian game developers rely heavily on Discord for their operations. He noted that many developers utilize the platform as their main communication channel with fans and for providing customer support. As of now, Russia has not introduced any domestic alternative to Discord.

The potential ban on Discord exemplifies Russia’s ongoing efforts to isolate itself from Western influences amid the continuing conflict. Reports suggest that the country has been working on developing several home-grown alternatives to popular gaming platforms, including a rumored competitor to Unreal Engine 5. Following the onset of the war in 2022, Russia has already faced the withdrawal of numerous popular services and games, such as Sony, Crunchyroll, and Pokémon GO. The prohibition of Discord would represent yet another significant setback for the Russian gaming community.

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