The esports matchmaking service FACEIT has become unavailable in Russia for part of the user base. Instead of the page loading, a standard Roskomnadzor notice appears stating that access is restricted due to “extremist materials.” The first connection issues began about a week ago, and now certain providers are already fully blocking the resource.
FACEIT
The official ban of the service in Russia is being reported by the users themselves: at first they noticed long client and site loading times, and now they see the typical Roskomnadzor blocking window with a reference to the law “On information, information technologies, and information protection.” There are currently no public comments from FACEIT regarding the situation, nor any open clarifications from the regulator.
Judging by the reports, the blocking is network-based and depends on specific internet providers: some users cannot access the site at all, while others experience issues with authorization or matchmaking.
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What exactly users see
Users report that when trying to access the website or web client, a message appears stating that access to the information resource is restricted by decision of the competent authorities. In other words, this is not a technical outage of the service, but blocking at the access level inside the country.
Some players note that at first the problems looked like “endless loading” or connection drops, but later were replaced with a direct blocking notice.
Context for the CS2 scene
For many years FACEIT has been a key platform for:
- unofficial ranked matchmaking
- amateur and semi-professional tournaments
- qualifiers for professional leagues
- team practice processes
For a large number of players from Russia, it was the main tool for playing on servers outside Steam matchmaking. Losing direct access means fewer competitive opportunities and more complicated training for semi-professional teams.
Community reaction
The situation is already being actively discussed on social media. Some players confirm a full block, others write that the service still works via mobile internet or by changing DNS. Possible workarounds for accessing the platform are also being discussed, but the situation remains unstable and provider-dependent.
For many users, the key question is whether this is a temporary measure or a long-term blocking of the resource.
Consequences for tournaments and teams
Potential consequences for the region include:
- difficulties in running local online tournaments
- shifting part of the activity to alternative platforms
- a possible increase in the role of CS2’s internal matchmaking
- additional logistical barriers for young players aiming to join international teams
For professional clubs the blocking is not critical, but for the amateur and semi-pro scene this is one of the main hubs, so the impact is already being felt.
What is officially known
At the time of publication, there are no public statements from FACEIT about the specific reasons for restricted access, nor detailed decisions from Russian authorities. All available information is based on user reports about blocking pages being displayed and the actual unavailability of the resource.
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The situation is developing
FACEIT is effectively unavailable for part of the user base in Russia, and at the moment this looks like blocking at the state regulator’s level. The situation is developing, and its consequences are already being felt by the regional CS community. We will continue to monitor events: the key questions now concern official comments from the parties involved and whether this will become a long-term restriction for players.
