State Duma deputies will press forward with discussions about limiting destructive content in video games, a topic that has drawn increasing attention from lawmakers. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house, announced the continued examination of this issue through his Telegram channel. He noted that the matter has captured the interest of deputies, and that the debate on the proposed bill will move ahead with input from the parent community, educators, scholars, industry representatives, psychologists, and all stakeholders who care about the impact of game content. The aim, according to Volodin, is to find a balanced approach rather than an outright ban, acknowledging that any policy must consider freedom of expression, consumer rights, and the realities of the digital market. In the ongoing talks, regulators are looking at how guidelines can be effective without overstepping the practical boundaries of gaming ecosystems, recognizing the complexity of moderating content across multiple platforms and ensuring that legitimate games remain accessible to players who rely on them for entertainment, education, and social connection.
On January 10, Artem Sheikin, First Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Committee of the Federation Council, described a possible direction for regulation. He warned that the new draft law on video game regulation could require every gaming service operating in Russia to identify users, using methods such as the Gosuslugi portal, biometric data, or a phone number. He added that responsibility for implementing these requirements would fall to the game’s copyright owner or any other entity authorized to distribute the title within the Russian Federation. The proposal raises questions about privacy, data security, and the practicalities of enforcing such identification across platforms, services, and devices used by players. Stakeholders in education and mental health emphasize that any measure should consider the impact on family life, trusted channels for parental oversight, and the potential need for clear opt-outs or safeguards to protect vulnerable user groups while maintaining lawful access to digital content.
Earlier, members of the State Duma entertained the possibility that a platform like Steam could be blocked within Russia. Those discussions reflected a broader willingness to consider access restrictions as part of a regulatory toolkit for the gaming sector, even as lawmakers reserved judgment about the feasibility and consequences of such actions. The thread of debate shows how regulators weigh safeguarding young audiences and national interests against potential impacts on the digital economy and cross-border services that Russian users rely on. As the conversation evolves, it remains essential to assess how a partial or targeted approach might affect developers, publishers, and players alike, and to explore alternatives that focus on age-appropriate content classification, robust parental controls, and transparent enforcement across international platforms.