Roblox has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines designed to keep children from encountering what the company calls "reward‑driven media feeds" within games that are listed under the Roblox Kids and Roblox Select categories. The move is part of a broader effort to tighten oversight of game mechanics that could encourage prolonged, passive consumption of media in exchange for in‑game benefits. In a detailed announcement posted to its Creator Hub, Roblox explained that the new policy targets any experience that mixes a media feed—such as short‑form videos, image carousels, or story‑style updates—with features like autoplay, infinite scroll, auto‑scroll, or a continuous replay loop, and then ties those features to a reward system. In other words, if a game shows a stream of content that keeps playing automatically and then offers the player a prize only if they keep watching, that experience 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 added that developers whose titles are found in violation will be given an opportunity to modify the offending mechanics and resubmit the game for a second review.
Should the changes bring the experience into line with the new standards, the game will be reinstated without losing any of its existing qualifications for inclusion in the Kids or Select collections, and the Engaged Player metric will remain intact. The policy announcement 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 encouraged users to stand on a virtual treadmill and watch an endless feed of content in order to earn in‑game rewards. The mechanic, which essentially turned passive media consumption into a gamified task, raised concerns among parents and child‑safety advocates who argued that it could lead to excessive screen time and exploit the platform’s young audience for monetary gain. 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, the company clarified the exact criteria that trigger the policy: - The game must present a media feed to the player.
This can include short videos, image streams, or story‑like formats that resemble popular social‑media platforms. - The experience must incorporate at least one of the following automatic behaviors: autoplay, a continuous replay loop, infinite scroll, or auto‑scroll. - There must be a reward system that either explicitly requires or strongly implies that the player must keep watching the content to receive the benefit. Roblox emphasized that the rule only applies when a reward component is paired with an infinite‑scroll or autoplay feature that demands ongoing consumption of the media.
Stand‑alone reward videos that are voluntarily launched by the player are exempt. In fact, the company made it clear that traditional rewarded video ads remain permissible, provided that users actively choose to watch them and that the platform enforces rate limits on how many ads a single user can view within a given time frame.
Developers whose games are adjusted to meet the new standards will be re‑evaluated by Roblox’s compliance team. The company assured that all other eligibility requirements for inclusion in the Kids and Select categories will continue to apply, and that the Engaged Player score—a metric that measures how deeply a user interacts with a game—will not be reset as a result of the policy change. The timing of the announcement coincides with heightened scrutiny of Roblox’s safety practices.
Last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism launched an investigation into the platform, alleging that Roblox appears to prioritize revenue generation and engagement metrics over the safety of its younger users. The Senate committee’s probe adds pressure on Roblox to demonstrate that it is taking concrete steps to protect children from potentially exploitative game designs.
In a related development, Roblox has also taken strides in the field of artificial intelligence safety. The company recently open‑sourced three of its AI 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 collaborative improvements in AI‑driven moderation and content‑filtering technologies, further reinforcing its commitment to a safer environment for all players. Overall, the new "reward‑driven media feed" policy signals Roblox’s intention to curb game designs that could encourage endless, passive viewing in exchange for in‑game perks.
By setting clear boundaries around autoplay and infinite‑scroll mechanics tied to rewards, the platform aims to balance creative freedom for developers with the responsibility of safeguarding its youngest audience. As the compliance reviews progress and developers adjust their titles, the community will be watching closely to see how these changes impact the variety and quality of experiences available within Roblox Kids and Select moving forward.