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 Select catalogs. In a recent announcement posted to the Roblox Creator Hub, the platform clarified that the rule targets any game that blends media‑feed elements—such as short‑form video clips, image streams, or story‑style posts—with mechanics that automatically play, continuously loop, or infinitely scroll content, and then ties those experiences to in‑game rewards or the promise of rewards for continued viewing. The statement read, "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." This signals a proactive enforcement approach: any title that fails to meet the standards will be taken down from the child‑focused sections of Roblox unless developers modify the offending features. The policy appears to be a direct reaction to recent controversy surrounding the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg. According to multiple sources, Steal an Egg was temporarily taken offline after it was discovered that the game encouraged users to stay on a virtual treadmill while a never‑ending stream of media played, rewarding players with in‑game items for watching the content without pause. The incident raised concerns that children could be nudged into passive consumption of endless video or image feeds purely for the sake of earning virtual perks.
GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for comment, asking whether the new rule was drafted specifically in response to the Steal an Egg situation. While Roblox did not confirm a direct causal link, the timing suggests that the platform is keen to address the type of design that sparked the backlash.
According to Roblox, a game falls under the scope of the new policy if it meets all three of the following criteria: 1. **Media Feed Presentation** – The title displays a feed of short‑form videos, image galleries, or story‑like content that resembles social‑media timelines. 2. **Automatic or Infinite Playback** – The game employs at least one of these mechanisms: autoplay, a continuous replay loop, infinite scroll, or autoscroll, which keep the media flowing without user intervention.
3. **Reward Integration** – There is a reward system that either explicitly requires or strongly implies that players must keep watching the media to obtain the reward. Roblox emphasized that the rule is narrowly focused: "only applies if it features a reward component alongside an infinite scroll or autoplay feature that requires or implies an ongoing consumption of the content to receive the reward." This means that simple, optional video ads or occasional reward videos are not automatically prohibited, provided they do not force continuous viewing. Importantly, the new policy does not affect standard rewarded video advertisements that are already common in many Roblox experiences.
Those ads still require a deliberate user action to start, and the platform enforces rate limits on how many ads a player can watch within a given time frame. This distinction preserves a revenue stream for developers while still protecting children from potentially manipulative endless‑feed designs.
Developers whose games are flagged for non‑compliance will have the opportunity to revise their titles. Once the necessary changes are made, Roblox will conduct a re‑review.
The company also reassured creators that all other qualifications for inclusion in the Kids and Select catalogs remain unchanged, and the "Engaged Player" criteria will not be reset for games that undergo modification. The policy rollout coincides with heightened scrutiny of Roblox from U.S.
regulators. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into the platform, alleging that Roblox appears to prioritize revenue and engagement metrics over child safety. The subcommittee’s inquiry underscores the broader pressure on tech companies to demonstrate robust protections for young users.
In parallel with these policy moves, Roblox also announced the open‑sourcing of three of its artificial‑intelligence 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 AI‑driven moderation tools, further signaling its commitment to a safer environment for its youngest audience. Overall, Roblox’s new restrictions on reward‑driven media feeds represent a significant step toward curbing design patterns that could exploit children’s attention for in‑game incentives. While the rule targets a specific combination of autoplay, infinite scrolling, and reward mechanics, its broader impact may encourage developers to rethink how they integrate media and incentives, leading to more thoughtful, child‑friendly experiences across the platform.
The ongoing regulatory attention and the company’s openness about its AI safety tools suggest that Roblox is positioning itself to meet both industry standards and public expectations for safeguarding its under‑age users.