J. Clement
Research lead covering internet and gaming
Roblox - Statistics & Facts
Available on virtually every device, the free-to-play sandbox game Roblox is one of the highest-grossing mobile gaming apps worldwide. Roblox allows users to program colorful game worlds (called “experiences”) and play user-generated games published by other creators and third-party developers. The platform’s focus on the creation of digital worlds with its own virtual economy has also positioned Roblox as a strong presence in the metaverse trend but how sustainable is this gaming environment?
Roblox spent more than 740 million U.S. dollars on developer and creator payout in 2023. At the end of that year, there were approximately five million developers and creators who earned Robux on the Roblox platform, out of which only 16,500 were qualified for and registered in the developer exchange program which allowed them to convert their Earned Robux to real money.
Despite this flourishing digital ecosystem, Roblox has faced criticism regarding the financial exploitation of creators, many of whom are children, as well as insufficient content moderation within its virtual worlds, making them unsafe for a large part of its user base. However, Roblox seems to have cracked the code how to get brands onto its platform so hopefully, the company can turn its financial fortunes around.
Roblox users are highly engaged and (mostly) young audiences
The creative possibilities of the user-generated games on the Roblox platform are appealing to many gamers, especially children and young teenagers. As of the first quarter of 2024, there were approximately 77.7 million daily active users of Roblox games worldwide. Gamers accumulated over 16.7 billion hours worth of global user engagement with Roblox experiences in the most recently reported quarter. The most popular Roblox games of all time based on plays include city exploration Brookhaven, pet adoption game Adopt Me!, and magical fruit game Blox Fruits, each having generated over 30 billion lifetime plays.Making money through Robux
In 2023, the annual revenue of Roblox Corporation amounted to 2.8 billion U.S. dollars, with an annual net loss of 1.16 billion U.S. dollars. The company generates almost all its revenue through the sales of virtual currency, Robux, which players can use to purchase virtual items sold by the Roblox developer and creator community on the platform.Roblox spent more than 740 million U.S. dollars on developer and creator payout in 2023. At the end of that year, there were approximately five million developers and creators who earned Robux on the Roblox platform, out of which only 16,500 were qualified for and registered in the developer exchange program which allowed them to convert their Earned Robux to real money.
Trying to profit off the metaverse trend
Gaming is regarded as one of the industry sectors that consumers are most interested in engaging in the metaverse. Third-party developers who have been specializing in developing branded Roblox experiences, have been profiting from brands utilizing the digital space. In July 2024, game studio The Gang launched a skatepark experience in Roblox in collaboration with skateboarding apparel brand Vans. Another popular Roblox developer is Gamefam, who have partnered with Sega to release the game Sonic Speed Simulator, a Sonic the Hedgehog game, on Roblox, as well as other branded content for a wide range of brands such as the NFL, Mattel, and Spongebob Squarepants.Despite this flourishing digital ecosystem, Roblox has faced criticism regarding the financial exploitation of creators, many of whom are children, as well as insufficient content moderation within its virtual worlds, making them unsafe for a large part of its user base. However, Roblox seems to have cracked the code how to get brands onto its platform so hopefully, the company can turn its financial fortunes around.
