Roblox has rolled out a fresh policy aimed at shielding younger users from games that blend media feeds with reward systems, particularly within its Roblox Kids and Select catalogs. The company announced the change on its creator hub, explaining that any game that merges a scrolling or autoplaying media feed with incentives—whether explicit or implied—for continuous viewing will now be subject to stricter scrutiny. According to the official statement, the new rule targets games that feature any combination of the following elements: a media feed that displays short‑form videos, image streams, or story‑like content; a playback mechanic such as autoplay, infinite scroll, autoscroll, or a continuous replay loop; and a reward structure that either requires or suggests that players must keep watching the feed in order to earn in‑game benefits.
When a game meets all three criteria, it is deemed to fall under the policy and must be adjusted or risk removal from the Kids and Select sections. "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 emphasized that the policy is not a blanket ban on all reward‑based ads. It specifically excludes traditional rewarded video advertisements, noting that those require a deliberate user action to start and are subject to rate limits that prevent excessive viewing. The timing of the announcement appears to be linked to recent controversy surrounding the pet‑collecting simulator Steal an Egg. Reports surfaced that the game had been taken offline after it was discovered to include a mechanic where players could run on a virtual treadmill while a continuous stream of content played, earning rewards for each loop completed.
This design effectively encouraged children to consume an endless feed of media in exchange for in‑game items, raising concerns among parents and regulators. GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Roblox for clarification on whether the new policy was a direct response to the Steal an Egg incident. While Roblox did not confirm a causal relationship, it did outline the specific conditions that trigger the policy: - The game must present a media feed to the player, such as short videos, image carousels, or story‑style updates. - It must incorporate at least one of the following playback features: autoplay, continuous replay, infinite scroll, or autoscroll.
- It must attach a reward system that either explicitly requires or subtly implies that ongoing consumption of the media feed is necessary to obtain the reward. Roblox further clarified that the rule only applies when a reward component is paired with an infinite scroll or autoplay feature that demands or suggests continuous viewing. Stand‑alone reward ads, which users must actively click to start, remain permissible under existing rate‑limit safeguards.
Developers whose games are flagged will have the opportunity to modify the offending mechanics and submit the updated version for re‑evaluation. Roblox assured creators that all other eligibility requirements for inclusion in the Kids and Select collections remain unchanged, and that any previously earned Engaged Player status will not be reset as a result of the policy shift. The policy change arrives amid broader scrutiny of Roblox’s approach to child safety.
Last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced an investigation into the platform, alleging that Roblox appears to prioritize revenue generation and engagement metrics over the protection of its youngest users. The subcommittee’s probe underscores growing legislative interest in how large social and gaming platforms monetize child audiences.
In a related move toward transparency and safety, Roblox recently 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 aims to foster collaboration with external researchers and improve the detection of harmful content across its ecosystem.
Overall, the new restriction reflects Roblox’s attempt to balance the creative freedom of developers with the responsibility of safeguarding children from potentially exploitative design patterns. By drawing a clear line around reward‑driven infinite media feeds, the company hopes to reduce the likelihood that young players will be lured into endless scrolling for the sake of in‑game gains, while still allowing legitimate, user‑initiated advertising and reward mechanisms to function within safe limits.
The coming weeks will reveal how developers adapt to the guidelines and whether the policy satisfies both parental concerns and regulatory expectations.