League of Legends Gets Blocked in Iran, Syria Due to U.S. Restrictions

League of Legends has apparently become unplayable for people in Iran and Syria due to restrictions imposed on the countries by the U.S. government, players have been reporting. Players in those countries who have tried to play the game recently are being met with a message that says they “cannot access League of Legends at this time” and that the restrictions in place are subject to change. Those who still want to play have found ways around the restrictions by using a VPN, though that’s obviously not the preferred route for playing League.

Tensions have been mounting between the United States, Syria, and Iran after a U.S. drone was shot down late last week. President Trump said there would be “major additional Sanctions” imposed on Iran on Monday, though League players are already feeling the effects of some of those. Trade sanctions are now apparently prohibiting players from playing League in those countries, sanctions which appear to be connected to the game’s microtransaction system that allows for skins and other items to be purchased. We’ve reached out to Riot Games for clarification on the situation and will update the article accordingly if more information is provided.

For now though, League players in those countries have been sharing their reports of being unable to play on Twitter and other places like the League forums. One post that’s been referenced more than once comes from those boards (thanks, PCGamesN) and included the screenshot found in the tweets below that was said to be shown to Iranian players. It said the restrictions were subject to change based on the U.S government’s decisions and that players were to be welcomed back on the Rift if things change.

“Due to U.S. laws and regulations, players in your country cannot access League of Legends at this time,” the full message reads. “Such restrictions are subject to change by the U.S. government, so if and when that happens, we will look forward to having you back on the Rift.”

Based on the images above, it looks as though the message is being displayed through League’s support pages for those regions.

The decision appears to be totally based on the U.S. government’s moves and doesn’t appear to be in Riot’s control at all, so the situation between the States and the other countries will likely have to reach some sort of resolution before League is fully playable in Iran and Syria again.