Roblox has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines designed to keep children from encountering "reward‑driven media feeds" in titles that appear in the Roblox Kids and Select collections. The company announced the change on its Creator Hub, explaining that the rule targets any game that blends a media feed with autoplay, infinite scrolling, auto‑scrolling, or similar continuous‑play mechanics, and then ties those features to a reward system—or even suggests that a reward is contingent on ongoing viewing. According to the official statement, Roblox is now actively auditing existing games to verify compliance with the new standards. Any title that fails to meet the requirements will be pulled from the Kids and Select sections unless the developer redesigns 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 shift 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 users to stay on a virtual treadmill, continuously watching short‑form content, in order to earn in‑game rewards.
While Roblox has not confirmed that the new rule was drafted solely because of that incident, the timing suggests a strong connection. GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for clarification, asking whether the Steal an Egg case prompted the policy, but the company has not yet issued a detailed comment on that specific link.
Roblox outlined the exact criteria that trigger the policy. A game falls under the new restrictions if it meets all three of the following conditions: 1. It presents a media feed to the player—this could be short‑form videos, an image carousel, or a social‑media‑style story stream. 2.
It incorporates at least one of these continuous‑play mechanics: autoplay, a looping replay, infinite scroll, or auto‑scroll. 3.
It includes a reward system that either requires or strongly implies that the player must keep watching the feed to obtain the reward. The company emphasized that the rule applies only when the reward element is combined with an infinite‑scroll or autoplay feature that effectively forces or suggests ongoing consumption of the content.
"The policy only applies if it features a reward component alongside an infinite scroll or autoplay feature that requires or implies an ongoing consumption of the content to receive the reward," Roblox clarified in its announcement. Importantly, the new guidelines do not affect traditional rewarded video advertisements.
Those ads remain permissible as long as the user actively initiates them, and Roblox enforces rate limits on how many ads a single user can view within a given period. This distinction ensures that developers can still monetize through standard ad formats without violating the child‑safety provisions.
Developers whose games are found to be non‑compliant will have the opportunity to modify their titles to meet the new standards. Once changes are made, Roblox will conduct a re‑review.
The platform also noted that all other eligibility requirements for inclusion in the Kids and Select catalogs remain unchanged, and the Engaged Player metric will not be reset for games that undergo revision. The policy rollout arrives 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 metrics over the protection of its younger users. The Senate committee's concerns have added pressure on Roblox to demonstrate a more proactive stance on safeguarding children from potentially exploitative game mechanics. In a related move toward greater transparency and safety, Roblox also announced that it has open‑sourced three of its artificial‑intelligence safety models through the Robust Open Online Safety Tools Model Community (ROOST). By sharing these models with the broader research community, Roblox aims to foster collaborative development of tools that can better detect and mitigate harmful content and behaviors within its ecosystem.
Overall, the new policy reflects Roblox's attempt to balance monetization opportunities for developers with the imperative to protect younger audiences from manipulative design patterns. By targeting the combination of endless media feeds and reward incentives, the company hopes to curb practices that could encourage excessive screen time or exploit children’s desire for in‑game rewards.
As the platform continues to evolve, developers will need to stay informed about these guidelines and adapt their game designs accordingly to remain eligible for placement in the highly visible Kids and Select sections, which are key channels for reaching a family‑friendly audience.