Roblox quietly ushered in a major change to how creators can earn money on the platform last fall. And we think it’s worth a closer look for any partners looking for better ROI. 

It all started in September, when Roblox introduced the strategy of letting its creators charge players real money for access to their games (instead of the in-game currency Robux). Three months later, the company issued a developer blog promoting this paid option, which it said could lead to creators earning as much as 70% of the revenue generated by their games.

The post went on to explain that under this revenue-share model for what Roblox calls “paid-access experiences,” creators would earn: US$4.99 (50%) for games priced at US$9.99; US$17.99 (60%) for games priced at US$29.99; and $34.99 (70%) for games priced at US$49.99. 

In order to be eligible for the program, creators must: be at least 13 years old, provide a verified photo ID and email address; be in compliance with Roblox’s terms of use and community standards; live in a country supported by the platform’s payment service provider Tipalti; and also set up an account with Tipalti, its third-party fee payment service. 

Roblox policies governing these paid-access experiences prohibit them from a slew of illicit behavior, including user deception and redirecting players away from the platform. They must also feature a complete, playable experience that doesn’t require any additional payment to access essential parts of the core game. Items, upgrades and power-ups designed to enhance the game, however, are permitted and can be bought and sold using Robux.  

Creators can also change between the three levels of paid-experience pricing to test the market and determine how much users are willing to shell out for their games. And Roblox plans to introduce additional pricing tiers in the future to offer more flexibility. 

Prior to the rollout of this new approach, Roblox creators had to focus more on selling virtual products for Robux to monetize on the platform. This model has certainly been effective—they collectively earned US$741 million in 2023, according to the company. 

Roblox is now ambitiously aiming to hit one billion daily active users, as well as reaching a point when 10% of all gaming content revenue generated on the platform flows back to creators—which is why it rolled out this new model for paid experiences. But to this end, the company is also integrating e-commerce platforms like Shopify so that creators can sell physical goods simultaneously in Roblox and in real life. The partners tested this innovation in 2024 and are planning a wide launch sometime this year. 

Image courtesy of Roblox.