Roblox is introducing mandatory age-gated account tiers, splitting its massive user base into three distinct levels based on verified age. Starting in mid-May and rolling out globally by early June, users will be placed into one of three tiers: Roblox Kids (ages 5–8), Roblox Select (ages 9–15), or standard Roblox (ages 16+). According to Engadget, the move represents the platform’s biggest structural change since it began requiring facial age checks for chat access earlier this year.
The new tiered system aligns each account type with Roblox’s existing content maturity labels, which range from Minimal to Restricted. Roblox Kids accounts are the most restricted, with all chat disabled by default and access limited to games rated Minimal or Mild. Roblox Select accounts for ages 9–15 allow chat with users in the same age group and parent-approved “trusted friends,” plus access to Moderate-rated content.
When users turn 16, their Roblox accounts become standard accounts with full features, but Restricted content stays locked until they are 18. Roblox’s official announcement says that more than half of daily users worldwide have finished age verification, and in the U.S., that number is 65 percent.
How does Roblox’s age-tiered system work?
The new account system on Roblox is built on age-verification technology from a company called Persona, which uses facial age estimation to place users into age brackets. According to The Verge, users who refuse to complete an age check will be automatically placed in a Roblox Kids-equivalent experience, with no chat access and no access to games rated above Mild. Age verification is handled through Persona, which deletes all biometric data immediately after processing and is GDPR-compliant. Key elements of the Roblox age-tiered system include:
- Account progression: Users automatically advance from Kids to Select at age 9, and from Select to standard Roblox at age 16. Restricted content unlocks only at 18.
- Content selection process: Games accessible to Kids and Select accounts must pass a three-step review: developer ID verification, two-factor authentication, and an active $5/month Roblox Plus subscription. Games featuring sensitive issues, social hangouts, or free-form drawing are excluded from both younger account types by default.
- Real-time monitoring: Roblox says it will monitor game instances in real time, checking that on-screen activity matches declared maturity labels. Users aged 16 and over “play new games first,” providing a buffer before younger users encounter fresh content.
- Expanded parental controls: Parents gain tools to block specific games and manage direct chat access until a child turns 16. Previously, kids over 13 could unblock experiences themselves. Parents can also approve individual games outside their child’s default age bracket on a case-by-case basis.
- Visual account indicators: Roblox Kids accounts feature a distinct blue background across the app, designed to help parents quickly identify when a child is using a restricted account.
According to Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman, the platform will “constantly measure users’ behavior and compare that against what their age-check data says,” and will ask users to re-verify if discrepancies appear. These changes come after strong legal pressure. NBC News reports that at least 7 states have sued Roblox over concerns about child safety, and that dozens of individual lawsuits have been consolidated into a single case.
The lawsuits include claims of grooming, sexual assault, and, in some cases, deaths by suicide after children were lured away from home. As The Next Web notes, the credibility of Roblox’s system is called into question: age-verified accounts appeared on eBay for $4 within days of the verification mandate, and Wired reported that toddlers could bypass facial scans. Roblox says it plans to begin transitioning to the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) framework later this year, applying region-specific ratings such as ESRB in the U.S. and PEGI in Europe.
In conclusion, Roblox is adding age-based account levels so that content and chat features match each user’s verified age. This step responds to growing legal concerns about child safety. How well it works will depend on whether Roblox can block workarounds and verify ages reliably.
