Roblox has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines aimed at shielding younger users from games that blend media feeds with reward systems, particularly within its Roblox Kids and Select categories. The company announced the change on its creator hub, explaining that any game that mixes a scrolling or autoplaying media feed with incentives—whether explicit or implied—for continuous viewing will be subject to the new restrictions.
According to Roblox, the policy targets titles that feature any combination of the following elements: a media feed that presents short‑form videos, image streams, or story‑like posts; a playback mechanic such as autoplay, infinite scroll, autoscroll, or a continuous replay loop; and a reward structure that either requires or suggests that players must keep watching the content to earn in‑game benefits. When these three components intersect, the game is deemed to fall under the "reward‑driven media feed" definition and must be reviewed for compliance. "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 Roblox team wrote. The statement makes clear that developers will have an opportunity to adjust their titles to meet the standards, after which the games will undergo a re‑evaluation.
Existing qualifications for inclusion in the Kids and Select sections, such as the Engaged Player criteria, will remain unchanged and will not be reset as a result of the policy shift. The timing of the announcement appears to be linked to recent controversy surrounding the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg. Reports surfaced that the game was taken offline after it introduced a mechanic where players would run on a virtual treadmill while a continuous stream of content played, rewarding them for staying engaged with the endless feed.
This design prompted concerns that children could be lured into watching an indefinite amount of media in order to earn virtual items, effectively turning the game into a disguised ad platform. GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for clarification on whether the new rule was a direct response to the Steal an Egg situation. While Roblox did not confirm a causal relationship, the company emphasized that the policy is intended to prevent any game from leveraging infinite scroll or autoplay features in conjunction with rewards that compel ongoing consumption of media.
It is important to note that the policy does not extend to traditional rewarded video advertisements. Roblox clarified that such ads must be actively initiated by the user, and the platform imposes rate limits on how many ads a player can view within a given timeframe. This distinction ensures that legitimate ad formats, which are already regulated by user consent and frequency caps, remain permissible.
Developers whose games currently incorporate any of the prohibited combinations will need to modify their designs. Potential adjustments could include removing the autoplay function, limiting the length of media feeds, or decoupling rewards from the act of watching. Once these changes are made, the titles can be resubmitted for review.
Roblox has pledged that any game that successfully aligns with the new standards will be reinstated in the Kids and Select sections without penalty to its existing metrics. 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 user engagement over the protection of its younger audience.
The subcommittee's concerns highlight the delicate balance that platforms must strike between monetization and safeguarding vulnerable users. In a related move toward transparency and safety, Roblox recently open‑sourced three of its artificial‑intelligence 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 improve detection of harmful content and enhance overall platform security. Overall, the new "reward‑driven media feed" policy represents a proactive step by Roblox to address emerging risks associated with infinite scrolling and autoplay mechanisms that could be exploited for profit at the expense of child well‑being.
By setting clear boundaries and offering developers a pathway to compliance, the company hopes to maintain a safe, engaging environment for its youngest players while still supporting creative freedom for game makers. The ongoing Senate investigation and the release of AI safety tools underscore the heightened attention on Roblox's practices, suggesting that the platform will continue to evolve its policies in response to regulatory and community feedback.