Roblox has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines aimed at shielding younger users from games that blend media feeds with reward systems, particularly within its Roblox Kids and Roblox Select collections. The company announced the change on its creator hub, explaining that the new policy targets any experience that mixes a scrolling or autoplaying media feed with incentives that push players to keep watching in order to earn in‑game benefits. According to the official statement, the rule applies when a game incorporates any of the following elements: a media feed that shows short‑form videos, image streams, or story‑like content; a mechanic such as autoplay, infinite scroll, continuous replay loops, or automatic scrolling; and a reward structure that either explicitly requires or strongly suggests that continuous viewing is necessary to obtain the reward. When all three components are present, the game is deemed to fall under the new restriction.
"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," Roblox wrote. The company added that developers whose titles are found in violation will have an opportunity to adjust their designs and submit the updated version for re‑evaluation.
Existing qualifications for inclusion in the Kids and Select categories, such as the Engaged Player criteria, will remain unchanged and will not be reset as a result of the policy review. The announcement appears to be a direct response to recent media coverage surrounding the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg.
That game was reportedly taken offline after it introduced a feature where players could run on a virtual treadmill while a continuous stream of content played, rewarding them with in‑game items for staying engaged. Critics argued that the mechanic encouraged children to watch an endless feed of videos or images in order to earn virtual rewards, a practice that raised concerns about the potential for addictive behavior and excessive screen time.
GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for clarification on whether the new policy was drafted specifically because of the Steal an Egg situation. While Roblox did not confirm a direct causal link, the timing suggests that the platform is taking the criticism seriously and moving to prevent similar designs from slipping through the cracks. It is important to note that the policy does not target traditional rewarded video advertisements.
Roblox emphasized that those ads remain permissible because they require an active user action to start and are subject to strict rate limits that cap how many ads a player can view within a given period. The distinction lies in the fact that rewarded ads are optional and do not force continuous consumption of media to obtain a benefit, whereas the newly prohibited mechanics do.
Developers who wish to keep their games in the Kids or Select sections must now ensure that any media feed they include does not rely on an infinite scroll or autoplay feature that is tied to a reward. For instance, a game could still showcase a curated gallery of images or short clips, provided the player must manually select each item and no reward is contingent on watching the entire feed. Alternatively, a reward could be offered for completing a level or achieving a milestone, without any requirement to view additional media content.
The policy also underscores Roblox’s broader commitment to child safety, a topic that has recently come under intense scrutiny from lawmakers. Last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into Roblox, alleging that the platform appears to prioritize revenue generation and engagement metrics over the well‑being of its youngest users.
The inquiry adds pressure on Roblox to demonstrate proactive measures that protect children from potentially exploitative design practices. In a parallel move to bolster safety, Roblox has open‑sourced three of its artificial‑intelligence safety models through the Robust Open Online Safety Tools Model Community (ROOST).
By sharing these models with the research community, Roblox hopes to foster collaborative improvements in detecting harmful content and mitigating risks associated with AI‑driven interactions on its platform. Overall, the new restriction on reward‑driven media feeds signals a shift toward stricter oversight of how games can monetize attention, especially in environments frequented by children. While developers will need to revisit the design of any titles that currently rely on endless scrolls or autoplay loops tied to incentives, the policy aims to strike a balance between creative freedom and safeguarding young players from potentially manipulative mechanics.
As Roblox continues to refine its safety framework and respond to legislative scrutiny, the platform’s ability to adapt while maintaining a vibrant ecosystem of user‑generated content will be closely watched by both creators and regulators alike.