Roblox has rolled out a fresh policy aimed at shielding younger users from games that incorporate what the company calls “reward‑driven media feeds.” The rule applies specifically to titles listed under the Roblox Kids and Roblox Select collections, which are curated environments intended for children and families. In a detailed announcement posted to its Creator Hub, Roblox explained that any game that blends a media feed—such as short‑form videos, image carousels, or story‑style posts—with mechanics like autoplay, infinite scrolling, or continuous loops, and then ties those features to a reward system, will be deemed non‑compliant.
According to the statement, the company is already auditing existing games to verify whether they meet the new standards. Developers whose titles violate the policy will see their games removed from the Kids and Select sections unless they redesign the offending mechanic. "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 post read.
The policy appears to be a direct response to recent controversy surrounding the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg. That game was reportedly taken offline after it was discovered that it encouraged players to remain on a virtual treadmill while a continuous stream of content played, rewarding them with in‑game items for watching the endless feed.
The situation sparked concerns that children could be subtly coaxed into prolonged screen time in exchange for virtual incentives. While GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for clarification, the company has not explicitly confirmed that the new rule was drafted solely because of Steal an Egg, but the timing suggests a clear connection.
Roblox outlined three specific criteria that trigger the policy: 1. The game presents a media feed to the player—this could be short videos, an image gallery, or a social‑media‑style story feed. 2.
The experience incorporates at least one of the following mechanics: autoplay, a continuous replay loop, infinite scroll, or autoscroll. 3. The game includes a reward system that either requires or strongly implies that the player must keep watching the feed to earn the reward.
If a title satisfies all three conditions, it falls under the new restriction. The company emphasized that the rule does not target conventional rewarded video advertisements, which remain permissible as long as users actively choose to view the ad and the platform enforces limits on how many ads a user can watch in a given period. "Rewarded Video Ads are unaffected, as a user must actively initiate the ad, and we apply rate limits to how many a user can watch," Roblox clarified.
Developers who modify their games to remove the problematic combination of infinite scrolling and reward incentives will be eligible for a re‑review. Roblox also reassured creators that any other qualifications required for inclusion in the Kids or Select catalogs will stay in place, and the Engaged Player metric—used to gauge a game's popularity and retention—will not be reset as a result of the policy change. The move comes amid broader scrutiny of Roblox’s approach to child safety. Last week, the U.S.
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into the platform, alleging that Roblox appears to prioritize revenue generation and engagement statistics over the well‑being of its younger audience. The Senate committee’s inquiry adds political pressure to Roblox’s ongoing efforts to demonstrate that it takes protective measures seriously. In a related development, Roblox has also taken steps to improve transparency around its artificial‑intelligence 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 aims to foster collaboration with external researchers and developers to identify and mitigate potential risks associated with AI‑driven features on the platform. Overall, the new policy signals Roblox’s intent to tighten its safeguards against design patterns that could exploit children’s attention for in‑game rewards. By drawing a clear line around infinite media feeds tied to incentives, the company hopes to reduce the likelihood that young players will be lured into endless viewing sessions.
At the same time, the platform continues to balance the interests of developers—who rely on engaging mechanics to retain users—with the need to uphold a safe, age‑appropriate environment. For creators, the immediate takeaway is to audit any existing titles that feature autoplay videos, scrolling feeds, or looped content that is linked to a reward system. If such elements are present, they will need to be reworked—perhaps by removing the reward tie‑in, limiting the length of the feed, or requiring a deliberate user action to proceed.
By complying with these guidelines, developers can keep their games accessible to the lucrative Kids and Select audiences while avoiding removal. The broader industry will be watching how Roblox enforces this rule and whether other platforms with large youth user bases adopt similar measures. As regulators and lawmakers increase their focus on digital safety for minors, companies are likely to face growing expectations to design experiences that prioritize well‑being over endless engagement loops.
In summary, Roblox’s new restriction on reward‑driven media feeds reflects a proactive step toward protecting its youngest users from potentially exploitative game mechanics. While the policy directly addresses concerns raised by the Steal an Egg controversy, it also aligns with wider regulatory scrutiny and the company’s own initiatives to promote safer AI usage. Developers are encouraged to review their games, make necessary adjustments, and submit them for re‑evaluation to continue appearing in the curated Kids and Select sections.