roblox has indicated that it wants to be more than a gaming platform for children. Today, the company takes another step in that direction by letting its creators create experiences specifically for people 17 and older.
The new age category will allow for more adult graphic content and themes than roblox allowed so far, including images of gore and alcohol consumption, chief product officer Manuel Bronstein tells me. To prevent underage users from accessing experiences aged 17 and over, roblox requires people to scan their driver’s license and submit a selfie before they can access the new category.
Thirty-eight percent of robloxlast year’s daily users were over 17, and the fastest growing user age is 17-24. The majority of robloxThe creators of ‘s are now over 18 and the company believes they are ready to build more mature worlds on the platform.
“It’s a great opportunity for the developer community to tap into this audience,” says Bronstein. “It both creates an opportunity for the public, (and) it also probably creates a great monetization opportunity for creators as people over the age of 17 may have more control over their disposable income.”
It’s clear that roblox is not ready for fully mature experiences with this category. More sexualized themes are allowed, but nudity and content that “depicts sexual activity or seeks genuine romantic relationships” is not. And while more explicit violence is allowed, the platform’s new guidelines prohibit “extreme violence or serious physical or psychological abuse,” leaving room for interpretation.
roblox went public in 2021 and is under pressure to grow revenue after announcing a push into advertising last year. Bronstein says the company will eventually be able to show ads only to verified users over the age of 17, giving marketers more control over the kind of audience they reach. “In many ways, we try to resemble or mimic the real world, where people of all ages can coexist, connect, interact, and hang out together in age-appropriate experiences,” says Bronstein.
