The St. Petersburg court weighs a ban on Last Train Home
The Oktyabrsky District Court of St. Petersburg has taken up an administrative claim seeking to prohibit the computer game Last Train Home across the Russian Federation. This development was communicated by the combined press service of the St. Petersburg courts.
The petition argues that the game erodes traditional values held by modern Russian society, distorts how information is presented to young players, and makes virtual characters feel compelled to perform brutal acts without mercy. It is also claimed that the game stirs hatred and hostility toward the Russian authorities and to soldiers of the Red Army who fought in the Civil War. The filing asserts that these elements could influence younger audiences in undesirable ways.
The plaintiffs request that Last Train Home be barred in Russia through Steam, the digital storefront involved in the dispute. It remains unclear whether other distribution platforms might impose restrictions or bans. The court has accepted the claim and will review the case to determine whether prohibition is warranted. No timetable for a final decision has been disclosed.
Last Train Home is a real-time strategy title developed by Ashborne Games and released in 2023. Its narrative follows a contingent of soldiers from the Czechoslovak Corps who find themselves in Russia amid the Civil War era. After World War I concludes, the group makes their way toward Europe using the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Earlier previews highlighted the gameplay and world-building of STALKER 2, illustrating a broader interest in tactical fiction and atmospheric environments in contemporary strategy games. [Citation: Court press release, St. Petersburg authorities; industry coverage]