Roblox is launching new account types globally in June, designed to provide age-appropriate access to games and chat functions for its younger user base. The move follows the platform's implementation of mandatory age verification for chat access in January and comes amidst legal pressure from US states over child safety concerns.
Users aged five to nine will be assigned to a "Roblox Kids" account, while those aged nine to 15 will be placed in a "Roblox Select" account. All users aged 16 and above will remain in the standard Roblox account tier. The company will provide a transition period for existing users to complete the required age verification process.
Strict Content and Chat Controls
Accounts for younger users will have significant restrictions. Roblox Kids accounts will only allow access to games rated "Minimal" or "Mild," which may include occasional mild violence or humour. Chat will be disabled by default for children under nine, with parents able to manually approve specific contacts.
Roblox Select accounts, for users aged nine to 15, will have access to games rated up to "Moderate." Users in this tier will only be able to chat with others in a similar age group. Parents retain the ability to grant one-off permissions for their children to access specific games outside their account's default restrictions.
Three-Step Screening for Developers
To have their games featured in the Kids or Select catalogues, developers must pass a rigorous three-step verification process. First, they must meet eligibility requirements, including being over 16 or having a linked parent account, enabling two-step verification, and maintaining an active Roblox Plus subscription.
Roblox Plus, which launched last week at a cost of $4.99 per month, offers exclusive benefits and discounts. The company's current Roblox Premium subscription will stop accepting new sign-ups from April 30.
Following developer verification, games undergo a real-time evaluation played by users aged 16 and older, whose feedback helps assess the experience. Finally, Roblox uses its multimodal moderation system and applies specific gameplay criteria to ensure games meet the appropriate content maturity label.
Legal and Safety Context
This policy shift follows a wave of lawsuits filed against Roblox, including by the attorneys general of Louisiana and Texas, alleging the platform exposed young users to risks like grooming and explicit content. The new account system directly addresses these child safety concerns by creating stricter, age-gated environments.
Only users aged 18 and older will have access to "Restricted Content," which includes strong violence, romantic themes, and strong language. The changes represent Roblox's most significant structural update to date in its ongoing effort to balance an open creative platform with mandated duty-of-care responsibilities for its younger audience.