Russian gamers exercised their right to protest wartime censorship this weekend, and it was spurred on by a recent ban on the popular game Roblox.
First reported by Reuters, “several dozen people” were found outside protesting the game’s ban in Tomsk, a city 1,800 miles east of Moscow. The protest took place around 11 days after news first came out of the country that the kids’ gaming platform was being banned for “LGBT propaganda.”

Several young people held up signs with words like “Hands off Roblox” and “Roblox is the victim of the digital Iron Curtain” in Vladimir Vysotsky Park, according to Reuters, in response to the game being taken down within the country a couple weeks ago.
“Children in the game are subjected to sexual harassment, intimate photos are tricked out of them, and they are coerced into committing depraved acts and violence,” Russian media regulation outlet Roskomnadzor said in a statement earlier this month when the ban was put in place.
Roblox has repeatedly come under fire in recent months, such as the Florida attorney general saying the game “has become a breeding ground for predators.” That came after the state of Louisiana also filed a lawsuit against the game, saying that it has allowed child predators to “thrive.”
“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,” Roblox officials said in a statement to Destructoid on Dec. 3. “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.”
Russia banning an app or game is nothing new, as it has already restricted several social media platforms like YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and others. But when it comes to Roblox, the protesters in question have apparently had enough.
Published: Dec 15, 2025 12:04 pm