Roblox has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines designed to keep children from encountering "reward-driven media feeds" in any games that are listed under the Roblox Kids and Roblox Select categories. The move is part of the company’s broader effort to tighten safety controls for younger audiences and to ensure that game experiences do not exploit the natural curiosity of kids with endless scrolling or autoplay video loops that are tied to in‑game incentives. In an official announcement posted to the Roblox Creator Hub, the platform explained that the new policy targets any title that blends media‑feed elements—such as short‑form videos, image carousels, or story‑style updates—with mechanics that automatically play content, continuously scroll, or loop indefinitely, and that also attach a reward, or the promise of a reward, to the act of watching. 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 timing of the announcement appears to be linked to recent coverage of a pet‑collecting simulation called Steal an Egg. According to multiple sources, Steal an Egg was taken offline after it was discovered that the game encouraged users to stay on a virtual treadmill while a never‑ending feed of videos played, offering in‑game currency or items as a payoff for continued viewing. The situation sparked concern among parents and child‑safety advocates, who argued that such designs could effectively turn a game into a disguised advertising platform that leverages a child’s desire for instant gratification. GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for clarification on whether the policy was drafted specifically in response to the Steal an Egg incident.
While Roblox did not confirm a direct causal link, the company did outline the precise criteria that trigger the new rule. A game falls under the restriction if it meets all three of the following conditions: 1. The title presents a media feed to players—this could be short‑form video clips, a scrolling image gallery, or a feed that mimics the look and feel of social‑media stories.
2. The experience incorporates at least one of the following technical features: autoplay of media, a continuous replay loop, infinite scroll, or an automatic scroll function that moves content without user input. 3.
The game includes a reward system that either explicitly requires, or strongly implies, that players must keep watching the media in order to earn the reward. Roblox emphasized that the rule only applies when a reward component is coupled with an infinite‑scroll or autoplay mechanism that effectively forces or suggests ongoing consumption of the content. The policy does not extend to standard rewarded video ads, which remain permissible as long as users actively choose to watch the ad and the platform enforces 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 the opportunity to modify their titles to remove the offending mechanics. Once the changes are made, Roblox will conduct a re‑review.
Importantly, the platform noted that all other qualifications for inclusion in Roblox Kids and Select—such as meeting the Engaged Player criteria—will stay intact and will not be reset as a result of the policy review. The introduction of these rules arrives against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into Roblox, alleging that the company appears to place revenue generation and user‑engagement metrics ahead of child‑safety considerations.
The subcommittee’s inquiry underscores the growing pressure on tech platforms to demonstrate robust safeguards for younger users, especially in environments where advertising and monetization can be subtly woven into gameplay. In a related development, Roblox has also taken steps to increase 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). By sharing these models publicly, Roblox hopes to invite external review and collaboration, further reinforcing its commitment to creating a safer digital playground for children. Overall, the new policy reflects Roblox’s attempt to balance the creative freedom of developers with the responsibility of protecting minors from potentially exploitative design patterns.
By drawing a clear line against reward‑linked infinite media feeds, Roblox aims to prevent games from turning into de facto advertising loops that could manipulate young players into prolonged screen time for the sake of virtual rewards. The industry will be watching closely to see how developers adapt their games and whether the policy effectively curtails the kinds of practices that prompted its creation.