Sony blocks numerous Russians on the Playstation

Russian users are currently reporting on mass closures of their Playstation accounts. Like Russian media report not only accounts that were registered directly in Russia are affected.

No more business since 2022

Russian -speaking users in adjacent countries such as Turkey, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have also lost their accounts. The background to these measures is apparently the attempt to prevent the bypass of regional restrictions. Many Russian gamers are currently using tricks to continue to get access to certain services such as PlayStation Plus despite an official lock. This service has not been officially available there since Sony’s withdrawal from the Russian market in 2022.

According to media reports, Sony uses strict control of the IP addresses to check the legality of accounts. Users who want to gain access to services through foreign accounts or VPN connections run the risk of being permanently closed. Apparently particularly affected are particularly affected people who use paid accounts.

The attempt by many of those affected to get help through Playstation’s customer service has so far been unsuccessful. So far, Sony has not responded to individual inquiries to unlock the accounts, which provides frustration for many users.

Sensory control

The current closures are part of the decoupling of Russia from Western digital services that has persisted since 2022. After the start of the large-scale invasion in Ukraine, Sony had hired the sale of consoles and games in Russia and blocked access to his online services. Since then, users have been trying to avoid these restrictions through technical means – with increasing risk of completely losing their access. So far, it is unclear whether and how many other accounts will be affected.

What is certain, however, is that Sony is tightening its control mechanisms and apparently willing to act rigorously against violations of the regular. For many Russian players, this is a bitter blow – not only financially, but also emotionally, since access to a central part of their leisure activities is permanently threatened.