Highlights
- Roblox Studio responds to allegations that the company utilizes “child labor”, denying claims that the developer employs teenagers under the age of 18.
- Studio boss Stefano Corraza shares some statics about the developer’s creator program, with more than 90 percent of its top earners over 18.
- Roblox Studio reportedly paid out “more than $741 million” to its independent game creators within the Developer Exchange program throughout 2023.
Roblox developer Roblox Studio has released an official statement responding to previous allegations of the company using child labor with connection to its user-created games. Since its debut in 2006, the sandbox game platform has become one of the most popular games within the online space. Alongside the wealth of games available through the platform, the game offers a variety of creation tools allowing users to code and develop their own games, with larger games able to monetize their Roblox creations. Now, the developer is responding to some serious accusations.
With the massive community of younger gamers within Roblox, the company hasn’t avoided criticism throughout its history. Roblox‘s freedom of creation and monetization programs for creators have often been met with criticism, especially connected to younger creators using the game design platform. British outlet People Make Games even accused Roblox of utilizing “child labor” in 2021, suggesting the company is “exploiting” its younger game designers. Now, the studio has responded to recent comments about minors associated with its “Roblox Developer Exchange” program.
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Roblox Responds to Child Labor Allegations
As reported by Eurogamer, Roblox Studio head Stefano Corraza recently released an official statement regarding its creator program. According to Corraza, Roblox Studio is not employing minors within the developer, referring to the “overwhelming majority” of creators within the Developer Exchange program as over 18. Corraza referenced age statistics for Roblox‘s top-earning user-created games, with “more than 90 percent” of the top 1000 owned by creators over the age of 18. Corraza also detailed the average age of its top game developers, with the highest earning creators averaging at 25 years old.
Within the statement, Corraza also expanded on how the Roblox team looks to aid its game creators. Corraza shared that many of its creators prioritize “having fun” over the ability to monetize their creations within Roblox, reporting that fun “ranked 4x higher” than its monetization. The statement also referenced Roblox‘s growing utilization as an educational tool for aspiring game developers, referring to “educators creating immersive learning experiences” using Roblox as a platform. Despite the prioritization on fun, Corraza still shared that Roblox’s user creators had earned “more than $741 million” in 2023.
Roblox‘s response to its allegations of “child labor” comes as the company has often found itself in hot water due to the freedom of its creative programs. Roblox‘s vehicle-based games recently saw brands like Toyota, Lexus, and Acura removed from the game, speculated to be related to expiring licenses. The game’s popularity with younger gamers has also brought plenty of controversy, with many parents complaining about “harmful content” in some of the user-created games. Despite its child labor allegations, Roblox remains one of the most popular games in the world and looks set to maintain its success.
Roblox – Game
Roblox is a massive online game creation tool that allows players to craft their own games and worlds for other Roblox players to jump into and enjoy.
- Released
- September 1, 2006
- Developer(s)
- Roblox Corporation
- Publisher(s)
- Roblox Corporation
- Genre(s)
- Game Creation System
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Diverse Content: Discretion Advised
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- Mobile, PC, PS4 & Xbox One
