Is Minecraft banned in Iran? All you need to know

Minecraft is a game that is enjoyed by millions of players all across the world. But sometimes, there might be a few hiccups. One such hiccup that many players in Iran might be facing is the inability to access the game. This means that when turning on the game, the game either does not open or shows a message saying the game or application is not available in your country. So is the game banned in Iran? The short and unfortunate answer is yes, Mojang’s game is currently banned in Iran.

This means that Minecraft cannot be downloaded or even played if accessed from Iran. Even if players have paid the full price of the game and bought it before, they won’t be able to access it. Since the game’s servers know the location of the player, any requests coming from Iran will be blocked. Here’s everything you need to know.

---

Minecraft banned in Iran

The game is unavailable in Iran (Image via Mojang Studios)

The game is currently banned in Iran and while the reasons for this are still unknown, it is very likely due to the political tension and sanctions between Iran and the United States.

Since Mojang Studios is owned by Microsoft, an American company, it is likely that the game’s servers are not allowing any players from Iran. Not just games, but Minecraft Realms Plus will also not be accessible due to this ban.

Every company operates under some policies and has to follow the directives given by the government. So if players are unable to access the game, it is not because they have been banned or there is any problem with their game. Many players who cannot access the game can do so using a virtual private network.

Minecraft's community support response to the ban (Image via Microsoft)

A VPN allows players to mask their IP address, essentially avoiding the identification of their location. Players can access Minecraft and every feature and add-on the game has using a VPN.

Coming to the resolution of this problem, there is no way to determine when the ban will be lifted. It is a complicated process that can take days to months and unfortunately, sometimes even years. This can be frustrating for many players who have bought the game and still cannot access it, especially when the Minecraft 1.21 update is on the horizon, bringing a ton of new features and items to the game.

Players can only wait until Microsoft makes the game available in Iran again. Other than that, getting a reliable VPN connection is the only way to access and play the game normally.