Roblox Overhauls Safety Features While Expanding Games Into Movies

It’s been a bumper week for Roblox as it’s announced tweaks to its age verification process, a new subscription tier, and that Experiences are now once again Games. Meanwhile, Chris Hansen continues a podcast tour to raise awareness of Roblox’ issues with predators.

Roblox has been on the backfoot since last August, when the lax child safety of the platform was highlighted by YouTuber Schlep. While he and Hansen are busy behind the scenes building up multiple lawsuits against Roblox, the company has been busy trying to get ahead of the ongoing controversy. 

Its latest attempt was highlighted by CEO David Baszucki in a recent post on the official website: “We’re introducing two new age-based accounts for younger users on Roblox: Roblox Kids for users ages 5 to 8 and Roblox Select for users ages 9 to 15.” 

“When they roll out in early June, these accounts will more closely align content access, communication settings, and parental controls with a user’s age. We’re also establishing an ongoing selection process for games available to users under 16.”

New Accounts and Tiers

The idea is that if Roblox’ age-check system determines a user to be between 5 to 8 years old, then that child will only be able to access content with a Minimal or Mild content maturity label. Plus, all communication channels are disabled by default. However, content descriptors are initially determined by the person who created a game in Roblox, so this still isn’t a guarantee that content will be suitable. 

Likely to counteract this, parents are getting better access to control settings. These include being able to set a child’s age, block specific games, manage screen time and spending limits. Nick Tornow, leader of the Creator and Engine Groups at Roblox, also posted recently that content creator regulations will change from May 19, including requiring age verification and a Roblox Plus account. 

Regarding Plus, this is a new tier being introduced on April 30 for $4.99 a month. Arguably two of the main selling points for this subscription is the ability for users to receive free, unlimited access to paid private servers (ie. if they’d otherwise have to pay to access the server, Plus grants them access for no additional cost), and the ability to transfer Robux to another user.

Robux has unsavoury links with predators on the platform, as many have used it to coerce young gamers into doing things with the promise of getting the in-game currency as a reward. Roblox seems to finally be doing something about this as transfers can only be made between users who have gone through age verification and are 18 or older.

Chris Hansen Continues His Anti-Roblox Tour

To Catch a Predator host and founder of the true crime–oriented streaming service TruBlu, Chris Hansen, has been busy appearing on TV and podcasts to talk about his ongoing investigation into adults using Roblox as a way to groom children. 

His most recent appearance was on Planet Tyrus, where he noted that, of course, the purpose of a business is to make money, but when a business like Roblox has “the responsibility for so many vulnerable children” it should take that responsibility more seriously.

“If kids are flying off a ride at an amusement park left and right, they have a responsibility to make that ride safer so kids aren’t flying off the ride,” he said. “Roblox has a similar responsibility here. And I am shocked, after multiple calls and background briefings with this company, that they did not do an on-camera interview.”

“And what it tells me, is that they’re either afraid of what I’m going to ask them or they’re arrogant. And because they created this world, this online society, they know what’s best for it and they don’t have to be held accountable.”

Roblox Games Spread to Movies

Roblox CEO David Baszucki has gone on-camera at least twice since last summer (on a New York Times podcast and live on CNBC), although both times he awkwardly deflected questions about child safety on Roblox. He also completely ignores any complaints or criticism directed at him on social media, instead preferring to remind people of various Roblox statistics.

One of these is that there are around 7 million games on the platform (previously referred to as Experiences, partly due to sidestepping Apple’s rules around how game apps have to be handled if they’re on the App Store). While there’s been plenty of talk about the shady games on the platform, it’s unfair to ignore just how popular some of the more normal ones are.

Three of these are Grow a Garden, Steal a Brainrot, and 99 Nights in the Forest. The former is a gardening sim that’s racked up billions of plays, the middle game’s based on popular meme creatures, and the latter is a survival horror about rescuing kids from spooky woods as a creepy deer stalks the area. It’s also currently occupying the sixth position of Roblox’ Most Popular Games. 

All are also headed to the big screen: Grow a Garden and Steal a Brainrot have been picked up by Story Kitchen, a company specializing in adapting toys and games into TV and films. 99 Nights is being produced by the Disney-owned 20th Century Studios, which was behind the movie adaptations of Hitman and Assassin’s Creed.