Roblox has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines aimed at shielding younger players from games that blend media feeds with reward systems on its Roblox Kids and Select categories. The company announced the policy on its creator hub, emphasizing that any game that mixes a scrolling or autoplay media feed with incentives—real or implied—to keep watching will no longer be permitted in those child‑focused sections unless the mechanic is altered. According to the official statement, Roblox is currently auditing existing titles for compliance.
Developers whose games fail to meet the new standards will see their titles removed from the Kids and Select catalogs unless they redesign the offending feature. This proactive approach reflects Roblox’s broader commitment to child safety, especially after recent scrutiny from lawmakers and the media.
The policy was sparked by the removal of the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg, which had attracted attention for a particular gameplay loop. In that loop, players would run on a virtual treadmill while a continuous stream of short videos or images played in the background.
The game rewarded players with in‑game currency or items only if they kept watching the feed, effectively encouraging endless consumption of media for tangible benefits. While the game was popular among younger audiences, the mechanic raised concerns about the potential for addictive behavior and the exploitation of children’s attention for monetary gain. GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for clarification, asking whether the new rule was a direct response to the Steal an Egg controversy. Roblox confirmed that the game’s design fit the definition of a "reward‑driven media feed" and that the policy would cover any title that combines three core elements: 1.
**A media feed presented to players** – This could be short‑form videos, image carousels, or story‑style content that mimics popular social‑media platforms. 2.
**An autoplay or infinite‑scroll mechanic** – Features such as continuous replay loops, auto‑scrolling lists, or any system that pushes content without user interaction. 3. **A reward structure tied to viewing** – Either explicit rewards (coins, items, experience points) or implicit incentives that suggest continued watching is necessary to progress.
Roblox stressed that the policy only triggers when a reward component is directly linked to an infinite scroll or autoplay feature that requires, or appears to require, ongoing consumption of the media. In other words, a game that simply includes a media feed without tying it to rewards would remain permissible. The company also clarified that traditional rewarded video ads are exempt, as those ads must be actively initiated by the player and are subject to strict rate limits on how often they can be viewed. Developers whose games are flagged will have the opportunity to modify the problematic mechanics and submit the revised version for re‑evaluation.
Roblox noted that all other eligibility criteria for inclusion in the Kids and Select catalogs will stay unchanged, and the Engaged Player metric—used to gauge a game's popularity and retention—will not be reset during the review process. The timing of this policy update coincides with heightened regulatory attention.
Last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into Roblox, alleging that the platform may prioritize revenue and engagement metrics over the safety of its youngest users.
Lawmakers have expressed concerns that certain monetization strategies, such as in‑game purchases and ad placements, could be exploiting children’s impressionability. In response to the broader conversation about safety, Roblox also 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, Roblox hopes to foster collaboration with researchers and developers to improve detection of harmful content and behavior across its ecosystem. Overall, the new restriction reflects a growing awareness within the gaming industry of the fine line between engaging content and manipulative design, especially when it comes to children.
By targeting the specific combination of endless media feeds and reward incentives, Roblox aims to curb practices that could encourage compulsive viewing habits while still allowing developers creative freedom in other areas. The policy underscores the platform’s intent to balance entertainment, safety, and regulatory compliance as it continues to serve a global audience of millions of young players.