Roblox has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines aimed at shielding younger users from games that incorporate what the company calls "reward‑driven media feeds" within its Roblox Kids and Select categories. The move is part of a broader effort to ensure that the platform’s most vulnerable audience is not exposed to mechanics that push continuous viewing of media in exchange for in‑game benefits. In an announcement posted on the Roblox Creator Hub, the company explained that the policy targets any experience that blends media‑feed presentations—such as short‑form video clips, image streams, or story‑style social feeds—with autoplay, infinite‑scroll, or auto‑scroll functionalities, and then ties those features to a reward system. In other words, if a game shows a scrolling feed of videos or pictures that automatically plays or repeats, and then offers the player a prize only if they keep watching, that game will fall under the new restrictions.
"We are actively reviewing games for compliance with the new policy. Games that do not follow this policy will be removed from Kids and Select unless the game mechanic is redesigned," Roblox wrote. The statement makes clear that the company will not simply ban games outright; developers will have a chance to modify their titles to remove the offending elements and then submit them for a second review. The policy appears to be a direct response to recent controversy surrounding a pet‑collecting simulation called Steal an Egg.
According to multiple reports, Steal an Egg was taken offline after it was discovered that the game encouraged users to remain on a virtual treadmill while an endless stream of content played, rewarding them with in‑game items for each segment they watched. Critics argued that this design effectively forced children to consume large amounts of media in order to progress, a practice that raised concerns about both attention‑span manipulation and the monetisation of child users.
GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for comment, asking whether the new rule was drafted specifically because of the Steal an Egg incident. While Roblox did not confirm a direct causal link, it did outline the precise criteria that trigger the policy: - The experience must present a media feed to the player, which could be short videos, image carousels, or story‑like feeds reminiscent of popular social platforms. - The game must incorporate at least one of the following mechanics: autoplay (where content starts without user interaction), continuous replay loops, infinite scroll (where new content loads as the player scrolls), or autoscroll (automatic scrolling without player input). - There must be a reward component that either explicitly requires or strongly suggests that ongoing consumption of the media is necessary to earn the reward.
Roblox emphasised that the rule only applies when the reward element is paired with an infinite‑scroll or autoplay feature that effectively forces the player to keep watching. The company also clarified that traditional rewarded video ads are not covered by this policy, as those ads require a deliberate user action to start and are subject to strict rate limits that prevent excessive exposure.
Developers whose games are flagged will be given the opportunity to adjust their titles to comply with the new standards. Once the changes are made, the games will undergo a re‑evaluation process. Roblox assured creators that all other eligibility requirements for inclusion in the Kids and Select categories will remain unchanged, and that any previously earned "Engaged Player" metrics will not be reset as a result of the review.
The timing of this policy shift coincides with heightened scrutiny of Roblox from U.S. lawmakers. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into the platform, alleging that Roblox appears to prioritise revenue generation and engagement statistics over the safety of its younger users. The inquiry underscores the growing pressure on tech companies to demonstrate robust child‑protection measures.
In a related development, Roblox has taken steps to improve transparency around its artificial‑intelligence safety tools. The company recently open‑sourced three of its AI safety models through the Robust Open Online Safety Tools Model Community (ROOST), signalling a willingness to share its internal safeguards with the broader research community. Overall, Roblox’s new policy reflects a balancing act: it seeks to preserve the creative freedom that developers enjoy while putting firmer boundaries around practices that could exploit children’s attention for profit.
By targeting the combination of endless media feeds and reward incentives, the platform hopes to curb a design pattern that many observers have warned could lead to unhealthy consumption habits. As the review process unfolds, developers will need to assess their games for any such mechanics and be prepared to make adjustments to stay within the newly defined safe‑play parameters.
The broader industry will be watching closely to see how effective these measures are in protecting young gamers and whether other platforms will adopt similar standards. In the meantime, Roblox users can expect a period of heightened moderation as the company works through its backlog of titles, ensuring that the experiences available under the Kids and Select banners meet the new, stricter criteria.