Roblox has rolled out a fresh policy aimed at shielding younger users from games that incorporate what the company calls "reward‑driven media feeds" within its Roblox Kids and Select collections. In a recent announcement posted on the Roblox Creator Hub, the company explained that the rule targets any experience that blends media‑type feeds—such as short‑form video streams, image galleries, or story‑style timelines—with mechanics like autoplay, infinite scroll, or auto‑scroll, and then ties those viewing experiences to in‑game rewards or the suggestion that rewards are contingent on continued watching. The platform made it clear that it is currently auditing existing titles for compliance.
Any game found to be in breach will be pulled from the Kids and Select sections unless the developer modifies the offending mechanic to meet the new standards. "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. The policy appears to be a direct response to recent controversy surrounding the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg.
According to multiple sources, Steal an Egg was taken offline after it was discovered that the game encouraged users to stay on a virtual treadmill while a continuous stream of content played, offering in‑game rewards only to those who kept watching. This mechanic raised concerns because it effectively incentivised children to consume endless media in order to progress, a practice many observers deemed exploitative. GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for clarification on whether the new rule was drafted specifically because of the Steal an Egg incident. While Roblox did not confirm a direct causal link, the timing suggests the company is reacting to heightened scrutiny over how its platform monetises attention, especially among its youngest audience.
Roblox outlined three criteria that determine whether a game falls under the new policy: 1. The experience presents a media feed to the player—this could be a scrolling list of short videos, a gallery of images, or a story‑like feed reminiscent of popular social‑media apps. 2. The game incorporates at least one of the following automated behaviours: autoplay of content, a loop that repeats continuously, infinite scroll that never ends, or an auto‑scroll function that moves the feed without user input.
3. There is a reward system that either explicitly requires or strongly implies that the player must keep watching the feed to earn the reward. Roblox emphasised that the rule only applies when a reward component is paired with an infinite scroll or autoplay feature that effectively forces or suggests ongoing consumption of the media.
The company also made a point to distinguish this new restriction from the existing framework for rewarded video ads. Those ads remain permissible because they require an active user click to start, and Roblox enforces rate limits on how many ads a single user can view within a given period. Developers whose games are flagged will have an opportunity to adjust their titles to align with the policy, after which Roblox will conduct a re‑review. The company reassured creators that all other qualifications for inclusion in the Kids and Select catalogs will stay unchanged, and that the "Engaged Player" metric—used to gauge a game's activity level—will not be reset as a result of the policy shift.
The policy rollout arrives amid broader regulatory pressure on Roblox. Last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into the platform, alleging that Roblox appears to prioritise revenue generation and engagement metrics over the safety of its child users. Lawmakers have expressed concerns that the platform's design encourages prolonged screen time and excessive in‑app purchases, prompting calls for stricter oversight.
In a parallel move to bolster its reputation for safety, Roblox also announced that it has open‑sourced three of its artificial‑intelligence safety models through the Robust Open Online Safety Tools Model Community (ROOST). By sharing these models publicly, Roblox hopes to foster greater transparency and collaboration with the wider tech community on protecting users—especially minors—from harmful content and behaviours. Overall, the new restriction signals Roblox's attempt to balance the creative freedom of its developer ecosystem with the responsibility of safeguarding younger players from potentially manipulative design patterns.
By targeting the combination of endless media feeds and reward incentives, the company aims to curb a class of experiences that could otherwise encourage children to spend excessive amounts of time scrolling and watching content solely for virtual payoffs. The effectiveness of the policy will likely be measured in the coming months as developers adapt their games and as regulators continue to monitor the platform's compliance with child‑protection standards.