Russia's Video Game Bill May Drop Biometric Player Verification

Russia's State Duma plans to pass the video game regulation bill in first reading before January 2027, and lawmakers intend to rewrite its most contentious provisions beforehand. The biggest change under discussion is the player authorization requirement, which may be removed from the text.

Anton Gorelkin, first deputy chair of the Duma committee on information policy, IT and communications, outlined the plans at the TsifraPrava legal forum. According to him, deputies want to eliminate the disputed clauses and resume dialogue with the market. Amendments for the second reading will be prepared together with representatives of the gaming industry. Gorelkin also spoke in favor of creating a non-state fund that could finance the development of Russia's game industry.

What the original draft required

The first version obliged game distributors to verify users through one of three tools: biometrics, a phone number, or ESIA, the unified identification system behind the Gosuslugi portal. The bill, titled "On the activity of developing and distributing video games in the Russian Federation," was introduced in late 2024.

In February 2025, the APRIORI association, whose members include VK Play and Astrum Entertainment, sent lawmakers proposals for changes. The industry opposed several identification requirements and insisted on the right to challenge the results of content expert reviews.

Age labelling in focus

Deputies also want to concentrate on child safety by developing a content labelling system modeled on PEGI, the European age classification scheme. PEGI assigns age categories and warns about potentially unwanted content such as violence, strong language or gambling, helping parents judge a game before buying or installing it.

Vasily Ovchinnikov, CEO of the Video Game Industry Development Organization (RVI), said the system already used in Russia is largely based on PEGI principles. Without major changes, the switch to the new rules could be almost unnoticeable for most market participants.

Alexander Zhuravlev, managing partner at the law firm EBR, said an appeals procedure for expert review results must be defined, so developers know where to turn if they disagree with an assigned age category.