
Roblox creators can begin building content for the 17+ age group right away and users who are age-verified and eligible will see those experiences popping up in the next few weeks.
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“If we give our communities a tool, if we improve our fidelity, if we improve rendering, if we improve physics - what will people build?”Īlong with Fortnite-maker Epic Games, Roblox is a frontrunner in the race to build the metaverse - an interconnected web of online social hubs packed full of games, pop-up events, live shows and digital goods that can all be navigated with a customizable avatar. “This is a play of being a platform, right?” Bronstein told TechCrunch. In recent years, the platform has increasingly opted for a more-is-more approach that layers more sophisticated graphics, deeper developer tools, realistic avatars and features like voice chat onto its core experience, which mostly entails a lot of blocky, Lego-looking dudes bouncing around pixelated suburban environments. Roblox isn’t afraid to mix things up or potentially dilute its identity as it matures. Roblox will give a handful of game developers $500,000 each to build its future

The changes could lead to new growth in content genres that aren’t usually associated with Roblox, like its growing stable of user-created shooters and horror games. “We want to make sure that they can explore themes and graphics and things that would be very compelling for them,” Roblox Chief Product Officer Manuel Bronstein told TechCrunch.īronstein hopes that creators will be inspired to explore newly mature themes with confidence, citing the platform’s guidelines around what is and isn’t allowed. The majority of Roblox’s creators - who populate the platform’s app store-like interface with games and other experiences - are 17 and older. Roblox’s above-17 age group is its fastest growing, and that group comprised nearly 40% of its daily active users last year. In contrast, the 13+ category only allows “moderate” violence and “light” realistic blood but no romantic themes or alcohol. Now, those colorful worlds will be able to offer users age 17 and up experiences that contain more intense violence, romance, crude humor, depictions of gambling and even a bit of virtual booze to wash it all down with.

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To create or enjoy those experiences, Roblox users will need to pass an age verification process that requires a government ID and a live selfie.įor the unacquainted, Roblox occupies an unusual space between a social network and a game, offering its many millions of daily users a candy-colored smorgasbord of user-generated game worlds and online social spaces. The platform, once synonymous with younger kids, announced Tuesday that it would allow creators to build mature content designed for users age 17 and up. Roblox is well aware that its young users are getting older, and the company is making every effort to grow up along with them.
