On 8 May 2021, they secured a second-place finish in the FNL and return to the Russian Premier League after one season in the second tier.

They also announced that the club will begin the stadium reconstruction in June 2021 to bring it up to Premier League standards.

That qualified Orenburg for the promotion play-offs against FC Ufa, which finished 14th in the Premier League.

Orenburg won the play-offs 4–3 on aggregate thanks to the second-leg added-time goal by Andrei Malykh and returned to the Russian Premier League after two seasons in the second tier.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.