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 Roblox Select catalogs. The company announced the change on its Creator Hub, explaining that the policy targets any game that blends a media feed with autoplay, infinite scrolling, auto‑scrolling, or other continuous‑play mechanisms, and that also attaches a reward—or the suggestion of a reward—to the act of watching that content.
According to the official statement, Roblox is currently auditing existing games for compliance with the new rule. Any title that fails to meet the standards will be pulled from the Kids and Select sections unless the developer redesigns the offending mechanic. This proactive approach signals that Roblox is taking a firmer stance on how reward systems are integrated with potentially addictive media consumption loops, especially for younger audiences. The policy update appears to be a direct response to recent controversy surrounding the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg.
Reports surfaced that the game had been taken offline after it introduced a feature where players would run on a virtual treadmill while a continuous stream of short‑form videos played. Users could earn in‑game rewards by simply keeping the treadmill moving and watching the content without interruption.
Critics argued that this mechanic encouraged endless viewing for the sake of virtual prizes, raising concerns about the impact on children’s attention spans and the potential for exploitative monetisation. GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for clarification, asking whether the new rule was drafted specifically to address the Steal an Egg situation. While Roblox did not confirm a direct causal link, the company outlined the precise criteria that trigger the policy: - The game must present a media feed to players, such as short videos, image galleries, or story‑style social‑media streams.
- It must incorporate at least one of the following continuous‑play features: autoplay, a loop that repeats without user input, infinite scroll, or auto‑scroll. - It must attach a reward system that either requires or strongly implies that the player must keep watching the feed to obtain the reward. Roblox emphasized that the rule only comes into play when a reward component is paired with an infinite scroll or autoplay function that effectively forces—or suggests—the ongoing consumption of media. The company made it clear that conventional rewarded video ads are exempt, as those ads require an active user click to start and are subject to strict rate‑limiting, preventing excessive exposure.
Developers whose games are flagged will have the opportunity to modify the offending features and submit the revised version for re‑evaluation. Roblox noted that all other eligibility requirements for inclusion in the Kids and Select catalogs remain unchanged, and that the Engaged Player metric will not be reset for games that undergo adjustments. The timing of this policy shift coincides with heightened scrutiny from U.S.
lawmakers. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into Roblox, alleging that the platform appears to prioritise revenue generation and engagement statistics over the safety of its younger users. The inquiry underscores growing legislative concern about how interactive platforms monetize attention, especially when that attention is harvested from children. In parallel with the policy rollout, 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 making these models publicly available, Roblox aims to foster broader collaboration on AI‑driven safety solutions and to demonstrate transparency in its efforts to protect users from harmful content. Overall, the new restrictions represent a significant step toward curbing the use of endless media loops as a lure for in‑game rewards. By drawing a clear line between acceptable ad formats and potentially exploitative reward mechanisms, Roblox hopes to create a safer environment for children while still allowing developers creative freedom within defined boundaries.
The policy also signals to regulators that the company is responsive to concerns about child safety and is willing to adapt its platform policies in light of emerging trends and feedback from the community. As the review process unfolds, developers will need to carefully assess their game designs to ensure they do not inadvertently combine media feeds with reward triggers in a way that violates the new standards.
Those who succeed in aligning their titles with the updated guidelines will continue to benefit from exposure in the highly curated Kids and Select sections, which remain valuable channels for reaching a young, engaged audience on Roblox.