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 Roblox Select environments. The company announced the change on its creator hub, explaining that any game that merges a scrolling or autoplaying media feed with incentives—whether explicit rewards or implied benefits for continued viewing—will no longer be permitted in these child‑focused catalogs unless the mechanic is reworked.
According to the official statement, the new policy targets several specific design patterns. First, a game must present a media feed to the player; this could be short‑form video clips, a carousel of images, or a story‑style feed reminiscent of popular social platforms. Second, the game must feature at least one of the following continuous‑play mechanisms: autoplay, an infinite‑scroll layout, an auto‑scroll function, or a loop that repeats content without user input. Third, the experience must tie those visual elements to a reward structure that either requires or strongly suggests that the player keep watching in order to earn in‑game benefits.
"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 company added that any titles that are modified to meet the standards will be subject to a re‑evaluation process, and that all other eligibility criteria for inclusion in the curated sections remain unchanged. In particular, the Engaged Player metric—a measure of how deeply a user interacts with a game—will not be reset for games that undergo adjustments. 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 was discovered to encourage users to run on a virtual treadmill while a continuous stream of content played, rewarding them with in‑game items for the duration of their viewing.
While Roblox has not confirmed that the policy was drafted solely in response to that incident, the correlation is clear, and GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to the platform for clarification. Roblox made a point to differentiate the new rule from its existing approach to rewarded video advertisements. Under the current system, a user must actively click to start a video ad, and the platform imposes strict limits on how many ads a player can watch within a given timeframe.
The new policy, by contrast, focuses on passive consumption models where content plays automatically or scrolls endlessly, potentially trapping a child in a loop of viewing in exchange for virtual rewards. The broader context for these changes includes heightened scrutiny from regulators. Last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into Roblox, alleging that the company may be placing revenue generation and engagement metrics ahead of child safety considerations.
The subcommittee’s inquiry adds pressure on Roblox to demonstrate concrete steps toward protecting its youngest audience. In parallel with the policy rollout, Roblox also took a notable step in the field of artificial‑intelligence safety. The company announced that it has 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 greater transparency and collaboration around the safe deployment of AI technologies, especially those that could intersect with user‑generated content and recommendation systems.
Overall, the new restrictions signal Roblox’s intent to tighten control over how media feeds are used within games aimed at children. By mandating that any reward‑linked media feed must avoid autoplay or infinite‑scroll features, the platform hopes to reduce the risk of inadvertent overexposure to advertising‑like content and to keep the focus on gameplay rather than passive consumption. Developers who wish to keep their titles in Roblox Kids or Roblox Select will need to audit their games for these specific patterns and, if necessary, redesign reward mechanisms so that they are triggered by active player actions rather than by continuous viewing. The policy also underscores a broader industry trend toward greater accountability for platforms that host user‑generated experiences.
As regulators, parents, and advocacy groups continue to voice concerns about the ways in which young users can be drawn into monetized loops, companies like Roblox are being compelled to refine their content guidelines and to provide clearer safeguards. Whether these measures will satisfy lawmakers and protect children remains to be seen, but the explicit language of the new rule provides a concrete framework for developers to follow and for auditors to enforce. In summary, Roblox’s latest policy bars any game in its Kids and Select catalogs from combining a media feed with autoplay, infinite scroll, or similar continuous‑play features when a reward is attached to ongoing consumption. The move follows the removal of Steal an Egg, which was criticized for its treadmill‑style reward loop, and comes amid a Senate investigation into the platform’s child‑safety practices.
By clarifying the distinction between permissible rewarded ads and prohibited passive media feeds, Roblox aims to create a safer, more transparent environment for its youngest players while still allowing developers to innovate within clearly defined boundaries.