Roblox rolls out Kids (5–8) and Select (9–15) accounts, age checks and three-step game review arriving in June

New account tiers and an age gate

Roblox is adding two new account types: Roblox Kids for ages 5–8 and Roblox Select for ages 9–15, and it has been reported that the changes start rolling out in June. Want to play anything rated for users nine and up? You’ll now have to complete an age verification check first. No check, no Select — you’re placed in a Kids account with chat off by default and access limited to “Minimal” or “Mild” content. Parents can link accounts and set ages, and kids will automatically graduate to Select and then standard accounts as they get older.

A tighter gate for games and creators

Games that want to be available to Kids or Select accounts must pass a three-step review: developer verification (government ID or parent-linked account), two-factor authentication and a Roblox Plus subscription; real-time multimodal moderation; and a content maturity label (to be aligned with IARC/ESRB standards later this year). Roblox says it will also use report signals from older players to decide whether a game is suitable for younger audiences. The company can’t yet say how long reviews will take or which titles will be approved up front.

Why now? Safety pressure and parental controls

Roblox has faced intense scrutiny over alleged child safety issues, and it has been reported that the company is the subject of multiple state lawsuits. This overhaul leans hard into verification and curated access — a clear attempt to reassure parents and regulators. New parental controls include the ability to block specific games until a child turns 16. Will stricter gates calm critics or simply add friction for creators and kids? Time will tell.

The trade-offs

This is a big pivot: better boundaries for younger players, but more hoops for developers, including the requirement to pay for Roblox Plus to let kids in. The platform says a majority of daily users have already completed age checks, and that many popular experiences should be “ready and waiting” after review. Nice in theory. In practice? Expect some of your favorite games to disappear behind the verification curtain — at least until the paperwork and moderation bots give them the green light.

Sources: theverge.com