Roblox has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines aimed at shielding younger users from games that incorporate what the company calls “reward‑driven media feeds” on its Roblox Kids and Roblox Select sections. The move is part of a broader effort to tighten controls over how children interact with in‑game content that blends advertising‑style media streams with incentive mechanisms. In a detailed announcement posted on the Roblox Creator Hub, the platform explained that the policy targets any title that mixes a media feed—such as short‑form videos, image carousels, or story‑style streams—with autoplay, infinite‑scroll, or auto‑scroll features, and then ties those mechanics to a reward system.
In other words, if a game encourages players to keep watching or scrolling in order to earn virtual currency, items, or other benefits, it will fall under the new restrictions. “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 statement read.
Roblox emphasized that developers will have an opportunity to modify their titles to meet the guidelines, after which the games will be re‑evaluated for approval. The policy appears to be a direct response to recent controversy surrounding the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg. According to multiple reports, the game was taken offline after it was discovered that it featured a mechanic where players could run on a virtual treadmill while a continuous feed of videos played, rewarding them with in‑game items for staying engaged. Critics argued that this design pressured children to consume endless streams of content in order to progress, blurring the line between gameplay and passive media consumption.
GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for comment, asking whether the new rule was drafted specifically because of the Steal an Egg incident. While Roblox did not confirm a direct causal link, it clarified the criteria that trigger the policy: - The game must present a media feed to the player, such as short videos, image galleries, or story‑like updates. - It must incorporate at least one of the following mechanics: autoplay, a continuous replay loop, infinite scroll, or auto‑scroll. - It must attach a reward system that either requires or strongly suggests that ongoing viewing of the feed is necessary to obtain the reward.
Roblox stressed that the rule only applies when a reward component is combined with an infinite‑scroll or autoplay feature that effectively forces or encourages continuous consumption of the media. The company made it clear that the policy does not extend to traditional rewarded video ads, which remain permissible as long as the user actively initiates the ad and the platform enforces rate limits on how many ads a player can watch in a given period. Developers whose games are found to be non‑compliant will be asked to adjust their titles.
Once the changes are made, the games will undergo a second review. Roblox also noted that all other qualifications for inclusion in the Kids and Select catalogs remain unchanged, and that the “Engaged Player” metric—used to gauge a game’s popularity and retention—will not be reset as a result of the policy update.
The timing of the announcement coincides with heightened scrutiny of Roblox by U.S. lawmakers.
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism launched an investigation into the platform, alleging that Roblox appears to prioritize revenue generation and engagement statistics over the safety of its youngest users. The subcommittee’s probe underscores growing concerns about how monetization strategies, such as in‑app purchases and ad‑driven content, might exploit children’s attention. In a separate development, Roblox has taken steps to improve its overall safety infrastructure by open‑sourcing three of its artificial‑intelligence safety models through the Robust Open Online Safety Tools Model Community (ROOST). By sharing these models with the broader research community, Roblox hopes to foster collaboration on detecting and mitigating harmful content, thereby reinforcing its commitment to a safer environment for creators and players alike.
Overall, the new “reward‑driven media feed” policy signals Roblox’s intention to draw clearer boundaries between interactive gameplay and passive media consumption, especially for audiences under the age of 13. By requiring developers to separate reward mechanics from endless scrolling or autoplay loops, the company aims to reduce the risk of children being coaxed into prolonged screen time in exchange for virtual incentives. As the platform continues to evolve, both creators and regulators will be watching closely to see how effectively these guidelines protect younger users while still allowing innovative game experiences to flourish.