Roblox has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines aimed at shielding younger users from games that blend media feeds with reward systems, specifically within its Roblox Kids and Select categories. According to an announcement posted on the company’s creator hub, the policy targets any experience that mixes scrolling or autoplaying media with incentives that either require or suggest that players keep watching the content in order to earn something in return. The core of the rule is straightforward: if a game presents a feed of short‑form videos, image streams, or story‑style updates and pairs that feed with mechanics such as autoplay, continuous replay loops, infinite scrolling, or automatic scrolling, and then ties a reward—whether explicit or implied—to the act of continual viewing, that game will be deemed non‑compliant. Roblox clarified that the policy is narrowly focused on this particular combination of features and does not extend to traditional rewarded video advertisements, which must be actively initiated by the player and are subject to strict rate‑limiting controls.
In the announcement, Roblox explained that its moderation team is already reviewing existing titles to verify whether they meet the new standards. Any game that fails to conform will be removed from the Kids and Select listings unless the developer revises the offending mechanic.
Developers whose games are adjusted to satisfy the guidelines will be re‑evaluated, and the platform emphasized that all other eligibility criteria—such as the Engaged Player metric—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 a recent controversy involving the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg. Reports surfaced that the game was taken offline after it was discovered to encourage users to run on a virtual treadmill while a continuous stream of content played, offering in‑game rewards for sustained viewing.
Although Roblox has not officially confirmed that the new policy was drafted solely in response to that incident, the correlation is evident, and GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to the company for clarification. Roblox’s definition of a “reward‑driven media feed” is precise. A game falls under the policy if it meets all three of the following conditions: 1. **Media Feed Presentation** – The experience displays a feed of short‑form videos, images, or story‑like content that resembles a social‑media timeline.
2. **Automatic Playback or Scrolling** – The game incorporates at least one of these features: autoplay of media, a loop that repeats content without user input, infinite scroll that continuously loads new items as the player scrolls, or autoscroll that moves the feed automatically. 3. **Reward Mechanic Tied to Viewing** – There is a reward system that either explicitly requires the player to keep watching the feed or strongly implies that ongoing consumption is necessary to earn the reward.
By isolating this specific intersection of features, Roblox aims to prevent scenarios where children might feel compelled to watch endless streams of media simply to progress or obtain items in a game. The company stresses that the rule does not interfere with standard advertising practices; rewarded video ads remain permissible as long as the user initiates them voluntarily and the platform enforces limits on how frequently they can be viewed. The broader context for this move includes heightened scrutiny from lawmakers. Last week, the U.S.
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into Roblox, alleging that the platform appears to prioritize revenue generation and engagement metrics over the safety of its younger audience. This legislative attention has added pressure on Roblox to demonstrate proactive steps toward protecting children, and the new policy is presented as a concrete example of that effort. In addition to tightening game mechanics, Roblox has also taken strides in the realm of artificial intelligence safety. The company recently 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 development of safeguards that can detect and mitigate harmful content or behavior across its ecosystem. Overall, the new policy signals Roblox’s commitment to creating a safer environment for its youngest players. By curbing the use of endless media feeds that are coupled with reward incentives, the platform seeks to reduce the risk of addictive viewing patterns and ensure that games within the Kids and Select categories remain appropriate and enjoyable without exploiting children’s desire for instant gratification. Developers are encouraged to review their titles promptly, adjust any non‑compliant features, and submit their games for re‑evaluation so that they can continue to reach the valuable young audience that Roblox serves.