Roblox has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines designed to keep younger users from encountering what the company describes as "reward‑driven media feeds" in titles that appear in its Roblox Kids and Roblox Select catalogs. The move is part of a broader effort to tighten safety controls for children who spend time on the platform, and it specifically targets games that blend media‑type feeds with mechanics that automatically play, endlessly scroll, or otherwise loop content while offering in‑game incentives for continued viewing. In an announcement posted to the Roblox Creator Hub, the company explained that the new policy applies to any experience that combines a media feed—such as short‑form videos, image streams, or story‑like social‑media updates—with at least one of the following features: autoplay, continuous replay loops, infinite scroll, or autoscroll.
Crucially, the policy also requires that the game attach a reward system that either explicitly demands or strongly suggests that players keep watching the feed in order to earn those rewards. If a title violates these criteria, Roblox says it will be removed from the Kids and Select sections unless the developer redesigns the offending mechanic. The timing of the announcement appears to be linked to recent coverage of a pet‑collecting simulator called Steal an Egg. According to reports, the game was taken offline after it was discovered that it encouraged users to run on a virtual treadmill while a never‑ending stream of content played, rewarding them with in‑game items for staying engaged.
While Roblox has not confirmed that the policy was drafted solely in response to that incident, the correlation has been noted by industry observers, and GamesIndustry.biz has reached out for clarification. Roblox laid out a three‑point checklist to help developers determine whether their games fall under the new rule: 1. **Media Feed Presentation** – The experience must display a feed of short videos, images, or story‑style content that resembles a social‑media timeline. 2.
**Automatic or Infinite Playback** – The game must incorporate at least one of the following: autoplay of media, a continuous replay loop, infinite scroll, or autoscroll that pushes new content onto the screen without user input. 3. **Reward Mechanic Tied to Viewing** – There must be a reward system that either requires the player to keep watching the feed or gives the impression that continued viewing is necessary to earn the reward. Roblox emphasized that the policy is narrowly focused on the combination of these elements.
It does not extend to standard rewarded video advertisements, which remain permissible so long as users actively choose to watch an ad and the platform enforces limits on how many ads a player can view within a given timeframe. The company clarified that the new rule only kicks in when a reward is directly linked to an infinite‑scroll or autoplay feature that pushes users toward prolonged consumption of the media.
Developers whose games are flagged will have an opportunity to modify their titles to comply with the guidelines. Once the changes are made, Roblox will re‑evaluate the experience. The company also noted that all other eligibility requirements for inclusion in the Kids and Select catalogs remain unchanged, and that any progress a game has made toward meeting the "Engaged Player" criteria will not be reset as a result of the policy update. The policy rollout arrives amid heightened scrutiny of Roblox’s handling of 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 youngest users.
In response to broader concerns about safety, Roblox recently open‑sourced three of its artificial‑intelligence safety models through the Robust Open Online Safety Tools Model Community (ROOST), signaling a willingness to collaborate with external researchers and developers on safeguarding measures. By targeting the specific practice of coupling endless media consumption with in‑game rewards, Roblox hopes to curb a design pattern that can encourage compulsive viewing habits among children. The company’s stance reflects a growing awareness within the gaming industry that certain monetization tactics—especially those that exploit the psychology of endless scrolling and autoplay—may be unsuitable for younger audiences.
As developers adapt to these new expectations, the platform aims to maintain a balance between creative freedom and the responsibility to provide a safe, age‑appropriate environment. In summary, Roblox’s new policy bans games that present a media feed, employ automatic or infinite playback, and tie rewards to continued viewing from appearing in the Roblox Kids and Select sections. Titles that do not comply will be removed unless they are reworked to eliminate the offending mechanics.
The change follows the removal of Steal an Egg, a game accused of using a virtual treadmill and endless content loop to lure players into prolonged engagement for rewards. While the policy does not affect traditional rewarded video ads, it underscores Roblox’s commitment to tightening child safety measures amid external investigations and ongoing efforts to improve AI‑driven moderation tools.