Last week was the Roblox Developers Conference, otherwise known as the private hullabaloo that outlines plans for the Roblox platform, and that means Roblox Corp was eager to paper over its recent lineup of controversies and legal fights with new shiny features in the works.
One of the bigger deals is the fact that Roblox plans to let creators bring their games to other platforms, making them standalone apps on PC, mobile, and consoles, while Roblox Corp will “[power] the technology underneath.” Creators will also be able to offer an offline play mode for their games, and games will be able to be played in Google Chrome (initially) without having to install the UGC platform’s app directly. Timing for standalone app support wasn’t provided beyond “soon,” while web browser functions are projected for the end of this year and offline mode is planned for mid-2027.
Unsurprisingly, the gen AI tools that Roblox Corp is keen on will expand too: The gen AI Build tool that entered public alpha earlier this year will be expanded to users in Singapore and Serbia, while a scene generator tool will arrive later in the year that lets players type in prompts to have gen AI create a 3-D scene.
Finally of note, Roblox Corp talked up two new monetization features in the form of Roblox Wallet and Roblox Card. Roblox Wallet will let creators earn real-world currency directly with automatic payments each business day, then transfer those funds to other Roblox accounts or to an external account, while Roblox Card will effectively work like a debit card linked to Roblox Wallet. The Wallet will release to eligible U.S. users who are 18 and older later this year, while Card is slated for sometime in 2027.
While much of these features were obviously intended to paint a bright and rosy picture for Roblox, one attendee was not going to let the corporation’s alleged malfeasance be swept under the rug. YouTuber Emathiio ran on stage when CEO David Baszucki appeared, wearing a shirt that read “kids deserve better” and shouting the same message behind him. Emathiio was quickly grabbed by security and moved off stage, and a follow-up video from the creator explained his protest, saying in part that he was speaking out against AI encroachment and in favor of better child safety measures.
