Many Destiny 2 players have recently discovered they are blocked from accessing the game. This issue, often indicated by the Destiny 2 error code TAPIR (which usually signals maintenance), has persisted for over a week. Reports from players in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan strongly suggest that developer Bungie has imposed a region lock on the popular first-person shooter. When questioned, Bungie staff on their official forums provided a generic statement: “Destiny services are not available where access is restricted by law,” offering no further clarity.
Initially, some players attempted to bypass the block using VPNs, but it’s now reported that accounts originally created in these affected countries are facing outright bans.
In response, players are turning to Steam, requesting refunds for any Destiny 2 DLC they’ve purchased. Surprisingly, Valve appears to be granting these requests, though it’s still uncertain if this is a guaranteed solution for everyone.
One player’s experience, as highlighted in reports, showed that Steam fully refunded their Destiny 2 Ultimate Edition and multiple DLCs after they explained their predicament. This is remarkable, considering Steam’s usual policy of not issuing refunds for games played for more than two hours. This particular player had accumulated over 2,000 hours in Destiny 2 before their alleged ban, yet still received a refund. Documentation from one such refund request showcased Steam providing credit for Destiny 2 DLC.
While numerous successful refunds have been reported, other players haven’t been as fortunate, suggesting the outcome might depend on the individual reviewer. For those who can’t get refunds, workarounds are being sought. These include using a VPN solely for the PC login phase (disconnecting afterward allows stable gameplay) or changing the DNS server on Xbox. Unfortunately, players with PlayStation Network accounts registered in Russia currently have no known solution.
One frustrated player constructively shared their experience and potential workarounds on the Bungie forums, urgently requesting “the Bungie team to provide a more detailed comment on this situation.” The absence of clear information regarding the specific laws restricting access or whether the issue is purely technical has left players deeply frustrated. A significant number of negative reviews for Destiny 2 have appeared on Steam, particularly in Russian. The game’s ‘mostly positive’ overall rating has recently plummeted to ‘mostly negative’ over the last month, with only 32% of recent reviews being positive. Specifically, just 9% of Russian-language Steam reviews this month are positive, making the game ‘overwhelmingly negative’ within that demographic. Screenshots of negative Steam reviews for Destiny 2 reflect this player sentiment.
If Bungie hopes to stem the tide of refunds, especially from dedicated players who have invested thousands of hours, a clear and decisive statement is essential. The ongoing lack of normal access for players in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan for over a week, coupled with inadequate official communication, is clearly fueling widespread discontent among the community.
For those impacted by the Destiny 2 region block and seeking new adventures, there are many other great MMOs and free PC games to consider.