Roblox to allow 18+ experiences and features on the platform

Rumors that Roblox will begin allowing 18+ content to be uploaded to the platform were sparked on February 8, 2023, after Twitter user RobloxTrackers "leaked" a list of possible Age Guideline changes that could be coming in the future. This list was then reported on by multiple major Roblox community news accounts, i.e. Bloxy News and RBXevents, and discussed by some of the biggest Roblox YouTubers, including KreekCraft, Sharkblox, and more. At the time of this article's publication, however, Roblox has yet to make an official statement regarding any of these "possible changes."

In September 2022, Roblox saw its age rating change from E10+ (everyone 10 and older) to T (Teen), likely due to its recent institution of voice chat at the time, after the the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) deemed its use of violence, language, suggestive themes, and gambling, more fitting for an older audience. This change didn't effect Roblox much, and the platform continued to grow and perform like normal into 2023, even breaking its concurrent user (CCU) record in February 2023 with 9,306,605 active players at one time.

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Even if the changes mentioned by RobloxTrackers are accurate, the reflection on the Roblox platform wouldn't be as massive as many users may think. Currently, Roblox sits at a T rating due to infrequent/mildly realistic violence and infrequent/mildly realistic cartoon or fantasy violence, along with the possibility of having infrequent mild language, infrequent mild or suggestive themes, and simulated gambling, all of which are mentioned in the "possible changes" list. The only difference between what's currently allowed on the platform and what could be coming soon, is the prevalence and intensity of said themes.

As Roblox continues to develop the parameters of its internal rating process, the discussion surrounding the platform's target audience and growth is becoming more nuanced. In the past, Roblox has been viewed and labeled as a "children's game," with roughly half of their demographic being under the age of 13. When considering that same statistic, however, it's often overlooked that the other half of users on Roblox are over the age of 13, meaning they can technically be exposed to Teen rated themes and situations without any kind of censoring. To unblur the line that exists between these two groups of users, Roblox announced the implementation of Age Recommendations.

This system, which is already being used across the platform, places Roblox experiences in three categories based on the themes that are prevalent within them—All Ages, 9+, and 13+. If the leaks found by RobloxTrackers come to fruition, an 18+ category could be added to Roblox in the future, which would see little to no filtering or censoring in those "adult" experiences. Similar to rated M games, these experiences would likely allow more graphic violence (blood and gore), strong language, romantic themes (dating), depictions of gambling, alcohol reference/use, etc., but would be blocked behind an age wall that can only be maneuvered by those who have linked a valid driver's license or ID to their Roblox account and fit the designated age criteria.

As mentioned above, these "leaks" are nothing more than rumors at the time of this article's publication, but similar changes could be coming to Roblox soon.

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