It has been a wild week for League of Legends fans in the countries of Syria and Iran, as trade sanctions coming down from the United States of America mean that they have officially been shut out of playing one of the biggest games on earth. 

According to the initial report from DotEsports, the trade sanctions on Syria and Iran began after a United States military drone was shot out of the sky, pushing the tension beyond just basic conflict and now there is a complete trade restriction. 

The League of Legends’ client blasted this message to its players in these regions. “Due to U.S. laws and regulations, players in your country cannot access League of Legends at this time. Such restrictions are subject to change by the U.S. government, so if and when that happens, we look forward to having you back on the Rift.” 

There is hope for League of Legends players in Iran and Syria, as some players are reporting that VPN tools have allowed them to log-in as if from another region, but as most know the potential ping and connection issues with VPN travel may be enough of a headache to keep most of those players from relying on that as a solution. 

Obviously, Riot Games and their partners will not be happy with the sanctions keeping them out of those regions, and who can blame them. As of right now, the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) has posted no statement regarding the news, but we expect that the longer it persists the larger the list of sanction combatants will emerge.