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After recent attacks targeting Iran, access to video games has become a significant challenge for Iranian gamers. Internet shutdowns affected game servers and online gaming networks, making these services effectively unreachable. Even after internet services resumed, connectivity to games has not returned to previous levels. Digiato interviewed several video game media professionals to assess current conditions.
Evidence indicates that following the internet outage and its partial restoration on June 24, a large number of users still cannot access online video games. Contrary to promises from the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, gamers remain unable to connect to game servers or play online. Users encounter various difficulties accessing these services. To explore the issue further, Digiato spoke with several industry insiders about the ongoing situation.
Mojtaba Mahmoudi, executive secretary of Vigiato, explained the status of online game access: "During the 12-day outage, all services were completely shut off and no connection was possible. After the ceasefire, online access issues continue. Many used DNS and VPN services for gaming, but after these events, many of those stopped working or could only connect temporarily."
Mahmoudi added regarding the connection tools gamers rely on: "Many gamers who previously purchased DNS or VPN services now have to reconfigure or acquire new DNS solutions to reconnect, which imposes additional costs."
The senior secretary of Vigiato further shared: "During this period, I had no access to PSN, Xbox Live, or Steam and did not play any games. Last night, I attempted to connect to PSN again but was unsuccessful."
In a separate discussion, Navid Gholami, former editor-in-chief of Donya-e Bazi, described the internet situation for gaming: "In the early days, I tried with three different internet service providers to connect to PSN, Xbox Live, and Steam servers but couldn’t succeed. Even after leaving Tehran, I was unable to connect to Nintendo servers via mobile internet. The only option was to play offline."
Regarding attempts to reconnect, Gholami said: "IPv6 remains closed, and only IPv4 is available, limiting access to many games. On Steam, I could connect to some games, but several others remained inaccessible."
Video game experts indicate that internet conditions for gaming have not returned to normal. They pointed out that ongoing sanctions against some games and the domestic internet’s instability render online gaming effectively impossible for Iranian users. The Ministry of ICT has not publicly addressed these disruptions affecting gaming services, leaving the duration of the current state uncertain. As with other internet-dependent activities, the quality of the online gaming experience remains poor, and obstacles persist.
