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 catalogs. The move is part of a broader effort to ensure that the platform’s most vulnerable audience is not exposed to mechanics that could encourage compulsive viewing or endless scrolling in return for in‑game benefits. In an official announcement posted to the Roblox Creator Hub, the company explained that the new policy targets any title that blends media‑feed presentations—such as short‑form video clips, image streams, or story‑like social‑media formats—with autoplay, infinite‑scroll, auto‑scroll, or continuous‑replay loops, and then attaches a reward system that either explicitly requires or subtly suggests that players must keep watching to earn those rewards.
The statement read, "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." The policy update appears to be a direct reaction to recent concerns surrounding the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg. According to multiple sources, the game was taken offline after it was discovered that it featured a mechanic where players could run on a virtual treadmill while a continuous feed of content played, and they would receive in‑game currency or items only if they kept watching the stream.
This design was criticized for potentially encouraging children to sit for long periods while passively consuming media in exchange for virtual rewards. GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for clarification on whether the new rule was drafted specifically in response to the Steal an Egg situation. While Roblox did not confirm a direct causal link, it did elaborate on the criteria that trigger the policy: - The game must present a media feed to the player, which can include short videos, image carousels, or story‑style updates reminiscent of popular social platforms. - The experience must incorporate at least one of the following automated behaviors: autoplay of content, a loop that repeats without user input, infinite scrolling that never reaches an end, or auto‑scroll that moves the feed automatically.
- There must be a reward mechanism that either explicitly demands continuous viewing or strongly implies that ongoing consumption is necessary to obtain the reward. Roblox emphasized that the rule only applies when a reward component is paired with an infinite‑scroll or autoplay feature that effectively forces or suggests the player must keep watching the feed to earn something.
Importantly, the policy does not extend to traditional rewarded video advertisements. Those ads remain permissible because users must actively click to start them, and Roblox enforces strict rate limits on how many ads a single user can view within a given timeframe.
Developers whose games are found to be non‑compliant will be given an opportunity to adjust their titles to meet the new standards. Once the changes are made, the games will undergo a re‑review process. Roblox also noted that all other eligibility requirements for inclusion in the Kids and Select collections remain unchanged, and the Engaged Player metric will not be reset for games that successfully modify their mechanics.
The timing of this policy shift coincides with heightened scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into Roblox, alleging that the platform appears to prioritize revenue generation and engagement statistics over the safety of its younger users.
The investigation underscores growing concerns about how monetization strategies—especially those that blend advertising, in‑app purchases, and gamified reward loops—might impact child development and well‑being. In parallel with the policy rollout, Roblox also took a notable step in the realm of artificial intelligence safety.
The company announced that it has open‑sourced three of its AI safety models through the Robust Open Online Safety Tools Model Community (ROOST). By sharing these tools with the broader research community, Roblox hopes to foster collaborative improvements in AI moderation, content detection, and user protection mechanisms across the industry. Overall, the new restrictions signal Roblox’s intent to strike a balance between fostering creative, engaging experiences and protecting children from potentially exploitative design patterns. Developers will need to rethink how they integrate media feeds and reward systems, ensuring that any incentive to watch content is optional rather than a prerequisite for progression.
As the platform continues to evolve, both creators and regulators will be watching closely to see how these guidelines shape the next generation of Roblox games.