eFootball is ending service in Russia and Belarus on June 15, 2026

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KONAMI has announced it will stop supporting eFootball in Russia and Belarus. Players in those regions will lose access to the game on June 15, 2026.

KONAMI hasn’t explained why it’s shutting down service in Russia and Belarus, but has thanked players in those countries for their long-time support. The company confirmed this change only affects Russia and Belarus and won’t impact players in other parts of the world.

Gaming service restrictions are happening in Russia and Belarus since 2022

Although some gamers might be surprised, it’s not the first time gaming companies have scaled back or left Russia and Belarus – this has happened several times in recent years.

🔚🇷🇺🇧🇾 The final whistle blows for #eFootball™ in Russia and Belarus on June 15, 2026.

— eFHUB (@eFHUBx) May 15, 2026

In March 2022, several popular game companies began taking similar actions. Minecraft’s creator, Mojang, and Supercell pulled their games from app stores in Russia and Belarus. Shortly after, Rovio did the same, removing its games from those regions. Pokémon GO was also removed from mobile app stores in Russia and Belarus around the same time.

This issue is connected to limitations Google put in place after problems with payments in Russia in 2022. Google Play temporarily stopped processing payments within Russia, which meant users couldn’t make purchases, subscribe to services, or pay for things within apps and games.

So, things are getting tricky for gamers in Russia. They’ve been cracking down on online platforms lately. Just last December, they blocked Roblox, claiming it had some extremist and LGBT content. And earlier in 2024, they actually banned Discord altogether. It’s making it harder to connect with friends and play games online, that’s for sure.

Earlier this year, Belarus also updated its rules about advertising for online games and gambling. As a result, the gaming industry in the region is facing tighter regulations, which likely created challenges for game operators.

Players in Russia and Belarus have less than a month left to play eFootball before Konami shuts down its services in those regions. Konami hasn’t announced if players will be able to transfer their accounts, receive any compensation, or find other ways to access the game.

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2026-05-15 16:11