Media company Ziff Davis has restricted access to two popular gaming websites, IGN and How Long To Beat, for users in Russia and Belarus. The news was first reported by DTF and has since been noted by many online observers.
Since August 23, visitors inside Russia have been unable to reach IGN and How Long To Beat. Those attempting to open the sites encounter a 403 error, which indicates that access is blocked. A moderator for How Long To Beat later confirmed on the platform’s forum that the decision came from Ziff Davis, the parent company behind both sites.
In a statement, the moderator apologized for the disruption and explained that the blocking was mandated by Ziff Davis’s legal team. The message made clear that the restriction was not a voluntary choice by the sites themselves and that the team on the ground does not control the policy.
Details about other blocked countries were not publicly disclosed. What is known is that Ziff Davis owns several gaming and tech outlets, including IGN and How Long To Beat, along with Eurogamer, GamesIndustry.biz, and Rock Paper Shotgun. For now, other Ziff Davis properties remain accessible from the same region, suggesting the action targets specific markets rather than the entire company portfolio.
IGN is described as one of the largest video game publications globally, known for news, reviews, and feature writing. How Long To Beat functions as a time-tracking platform, aggregating data on how long players typically take to complete various games, offering players a practical planning tool for their gaming sessions.
Historically, Russia has taken steps to block certain communication platforms and services in addition to websites. For instance, the Signal messaging app faced blocked access in the country prior to this event. The current restrictions on IGN and How Long To Beat add to a broader context of digital access controls that affect international audiences and cross-border media consumption.
Observers note that such blocks can influence how gamers in affected regions discover and compare gaming information, timelines, and reviews. They also highlight the challenge for global audiences seeking uniform access to widely used gaming resources and the potential impact on local communities that rely on these outlets for information, timing data, and engagement with the broader gaming ecosystem. Detailed reactions and further updates are expected as more information becomes available and as the company navigates any regulatory considerations that accompany these actions [source: DTF].