FACEIT Banned In RUSSIA: Platform Blocked by Roskomnadzor (2026) – Report

The competitive Counter-Strike 2 landscape has been shaken by breaking news from Eastern Europe. FACEIT, the world’s leading competitive gaming platform, has been officially banned in Russia. Reports confirm that the service is now inaccessible for a vast majority of users within the country, with Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor restricting access based on claims of “extremist materials.”

This development marks a significant escalation in the digital restrictions facing Russian gamers and could permanently alter the region’s esports ecosystem.

The Source of the Ban

News of the blockade first surfaced on social media platforms, with industry trackers and community members sharing screenshots of the restriction notices. Notably, the skin trading platform Pricempire highlighted the situation on X (formerly Twitter), drawing attention to the sudden loss of access for millions of players.

Russian users attempting to visit faceit.com or log into the client are now greeted with a standard Roskomnadzor blocking message. The notification cites Federal Law “On Information, Information Technologies, and Information Protection,” specifically labeling the platform’s content as “extremist.” Unlike temporary technical outages, this is a state-level blockade implemented at the internet service provider (ISP) level.

Why Is FACEIT Banned in Russia?

While FACEIT has not yet released an official statement regarding the specific content that triggered the ban, the “extremist” label is a catch-all category often used by Russian authorities to block platforms that host content critical of the government or fail to comply with strict local data laws.

The ban appears to be network-based. Some users report that while direct access is cut off, the service may still be reachable via mobile data or specific ISPs that have not yet updated their blacklists. However, for the majority of the player base, the platform is effectively dark.

Impact on the CS2 Community

The consequences of having FACEIT banned in Russia are massive. Russia historically constitutes one of the largest player bases for Counter-Strike. FACEIT has served as the primary hub for these players to compete in a cheat-free environment, distinct from Valve’s official Premier matchmaking.

Key Impacts Include:

• Disruption of Local Tournaments: FACEIT is the infrastructure backbone for thousands of daily amateur and semi-professional tournaments in the region. These competitions are now in limbo.
• Career Pathways Blocked: For aspiring Russian pros, the FACEIT Pro League (FPL) and its qualifying circuits are the only viable path to international recognition. Losing access creates a severe logistical barrier for young talent trying to break into top-tier teams.
• Server Issues: Russian players often use FACEIT to play on European servers with better anti-cheat protection. A ban forces them back to standard matchmaking or requires the use of VPNs, which introduces high latency and lag, ruining the competitive integrity of the game.

Can Russian Players Still Play?

Currently, the community is scrambling for workarounds. Discussion forums and social media are filled with players sharing VPN configurations and DNS changes to bypass the block. However, using such methods can result in unstable connections and high ping, which makes high-level competitive play nearly impossible. Furthermore, FACEIT’s own terms of service and anti-cheat systems can sometimes flag VPN usage as suspicious activity, putting user accounts at risk of bans from the platform itself.

What Happens Next?

The esports world is waiting to see if FACEIT will appeal the decision or comply with Roskomnadzor’s demands to restore access. Until then, the ban remains in full effect.

This story is developing. We will update this article as more information becomes available regarding the FACEIT ban in Russia and any official responses from the platform.