Blizzard has restricted access to World of Warcraft in Iran due to US-imposed trade restrictions and economic sanctions against the country.
Iranian players flocked to the Battle.net forums last week complaining of being unable to access the MMO. Blizzard responded and issued its official response in a 'blue post' that blamed US government policy for the move.
Blizzard added that it would happily restore access if the law changed. Due to the nature of the sanctions against the country, the company is also prevented from issuing refunds to the affected players.
'Blizzard Entertainment cannot speak to any reports surrounding the Iranian government restricting games from its citizens,' said Blizzard community representative Lurdlespor. 'What we can tell you is that United States trade restrictions and economic sanction laws prohibit Blizzard from doing business with residents of certain nations, including Iran.'
It is unclear how many subscribers Blizzard has lost as a result of the ban, as Blizzard does not divide its user-base by country. The terms of use documentation for World of Warcraft also states that Blizzard's titles can not be downloaded by residents of Cuba, Iraq, Libya, North Korea or Syria.
Previous reports had suggested that the Iranian government had imposed a Battle.net-wide ban. The Verge reported that a government pamphlet had been distributed linking Blizzard's games to the promotion of superstition and mythology, violence and the demonstration of inappropriate clothing for women.
The document allegedly originated from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and also mentioned games including Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Second Life and Guild Wars.
Blizzard's World of Warcraft is currently gearing up for its next expansion, the Mists of Pandaria. At its peek, the MMO boasted more than 12 million subscribers, but this number has more recently dropped to approximately 9 million.
FAQs
US trade sanctions have led game maker Blizzard to cut off access to World of Warcraft (Wow) in Iran.
Is Blizzard banned in Iran? ›
What we can tell you is that United States trade restrictions and economic sanction laws prohibit Blizzard from doing business with residents of certain nations, including Iran.
Is World of Warcraft illegal in China? ›
Given the difficulty of acquiring game-publishing permits in China, foreign gaming companies usually partner with a Chinese company to enter the local market. A dissolved partnership meant that all of Blizzard's games in China — including World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Hearthstone — were shut down.
Is World of Warcraft region locked? ›
World of Warcraft accounts and all associated items are region-locked. To play in a different region, you will need to purchase a World of Warcraft license in the new region.
Can Iranians play fortnite? ›
Our products and services are not available where prohibited by export control laws and applicable sanctions, which currently includes the following regions: Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Cuba. Iran.
Can you play Rocket League in Iran? ›
Regions where Rocket League server access is restricted: Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk. Cuba. Iran.
Are US citizens banned from Iran? ›
Iran - Level 4: Do Not Travel. Updated to add the Terrorism Risk Indicator and risk of surrogacy tourism. Do not travel to Iran due to the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and the arbitrary arrest of U.S. citizens.
Does the US still have an embargo on Iran? ›
In November 2018, the United States officially reinstated all sanctions against Iran that had been lifted before the United States withdrew from the JCPOA. In April 2019, the United States threatened to sanction countries continuing to buy oil from Iran after an initial six-month waiver announced in November expired.
Is pork banned in Iran? ›
Consequently, in adherence to Islamic laws, Iran maintains stringent regulations regarding the serving and importation of alcoholic beverages and pork products. Such items are not only prohibited for sale but also for consumption in public spaces.
Why did China lose WoW? ›
World of Warcraft to return to China
Last year, NetEase and game developer Activision Blizzard ended their 14-year partnership due to disagreement over intellectual property control.
Millions of Chinese gamers have lost access to World of Warcraft after a furious dispute between U.S. title owner Activision Blizzard and NetEase, its longtime local partner in the world's biggest gaming market.
Were Chinese prisoners forced to play World of Warcraft? ›
Prison bosses made more money forcing inmates to play games than they do forcing people to do manual labour,” Liu told the Guardian. “There were 300 prisoners forced to play games. We worked 12-hour shifts in the camp. I heard them say they could earn 5,000-6,000rmb [£470-570] (~$770-935) a day.
Can you play WoW with people from other countries? ›
Blizzard Global Play allows you to connect to game servers in regions outside your own, making it easy to play with your friends in other parts of the world. Global Play is available for all our games except for World of Warcraft.
Can I play WoW on EU servers from us? ›
World of Warcraft accounts cannot be transferred between regions. However, your Battle.net account can have multiple World of Warcraft accounts in multiple regions at the same time.
Why can't I play World of Warcraft? ›
Check your network configuration to find any issues with your firewall, router, or port settings. If you're using a VPN, try removing it. Disable any proxies that may interfere with the login module. Run a security scan to remove any viruses or malware infections.
Where can you play World of Warcraft on? ›
World of Warcraft is available for Windows and Mac through the Battle.net Desktop App.
What country plays World of Warcraft the most? ›
WoW population by country
- China, Asian Realms: 3.2 million players.
- United States and Canada, North American Realms: 3.0 million players.
- United Kingdom, European Realms: 1.0 million players.
- South Korea, Asian Realms: 800,000 players.
- Germany, European Realms: 600,000 players.
- Taiwan, Asian Realms: 350,000 players.
