Roblox is rolling out a major change that automatically sorts its youngest users into age-restricted account tiers. This shift will dictate what games kids can play and who they can communicate with on the platform.
What’s Changing
Roblox is introducing two new account types based on age. Kids aged 5 to 9 will have a Roblox Kids account, while those aged 9 to 15 will get a Roblox Select account. These categories aren’t something you can choose; Roblox assigns them based on the birthdate you provided.
This change builds on age verification that Roblox started implementing in late 2025. Back then, it asked millions of kids to verify their age using a selfie.
What Each Tier Restricts
The Kids tier, designed for the 5-to-9 age group, comes with strict limitations. Players in this group can only access a curated selection of games that Roblox has deemed age-appropriate. Chat features will be heavily restricted too, so younger kids can’t freely message strangers on the platform.
The Select tier for 9-to-15-year-olds offers more access than the Kids tier but is still more restricted than an adult account. Think of it as a middle school library compared to an unrestricted internet connection. It provides more freedom than the youngest kids get, but still has safeguards in place.
Users aged 16 and older will continue to use standard accounts with existing controls.
Why Roblox Is Doing This Now
Roblox has faced ongoing criticism about child safety on the platform. With over 80 million daily active users — most of whom are under 17 — regulators, parents, and advocacy groups have been pushing for change. The UK’s Online Safety Act and similar laws in the U.S. have urged platforms hosting kids to do more than just provide hidden parental controls.
By making age-gating mandatory instead of optional, Roblox is alleviating some responsibility from parents who may not know those settings are available.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Daily Active Users | 88 million+ |
| Percentage of users under 17 | Majority of platform |
| Age range for Kids account | 5 to 9 years old |
| Age range for Select account | 9 to 15 years old |
| Age verification rollout began | Late 2025 |
What This Means for Everyday Users
If you’re a parent with a child on Roblox, you’ll likely notice this change without lifting a finger. Your child’s account might suddenly show fewer available games, or certain chat features may no longer work. That’s just the system functioning as intended — not a glitch.
For kids near the age cutoff — like a 9-year-old who just moved to the Select tier — the change might feel sudden. Roblox hasn’t detailed how it will inform young users about these changes, which may lead to confusion if a favorite game suddenly disappears from their library.
For parents, this is a genuine benefit: you won’t have to sift through account settings to tighten your 7-year-old’s experience. The system will take care of much of that for you.
Developers creating games on Roblox will also feel the impact. Titles that haven’t received approval for the Kids tier simply won’t show up for the youngest players, which could hurt visibility and player counts for those games.
Community Reaction
“As a parent, this is actually great. My kid kept finding weird games, and I had no idea how to restrict it. Automatic tiers make way more sense than hoping I configured something correctly.”
“This is going to kill smaller developer games for kids. If you’re not a big studio that can get approved, your game just vanishes for half the platform’s audience.”
What To Watch
- Developer response: Keep an eye on how Roblox’s creator community reacts to the Kids-tier approval process. If smaller developers struggle to get their games certified, expect some pushback soon.
- Rollout timeline: Roblox hasn’t set a specific global launch date for these tiers. Anticipate a phased rollout similar to the age verification selfie feature introduced in late 2025.
- Regulatory pressure: With the UK’s Online Safety Act enforcement increasing and U.S. lawmakers closely monitoring platforms, this change might just be the first of several policy updates Roblox announces in 2026.
- Parental controls update: It’d be wise to check if Roblox updates its parental dashboard to reflect the new tiers, so parents can see exactly what their child’s account can and can’t do.
Sources: Engadget: Roblox introduces mandatory age-gated account tiers | TechCrunch: Roblox introduces Kids and Select accounts | Engadget: Roblox age verification rollout
Ava Mitchell
Ava Mitchell is a digital culture journalist at Explosion.com covering social media platforms, streaming services, and the creator economy. With 4 years reporting on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and the apps that shape daily life, Ava specializes in explaining platform policy changes and their impact on everyday users. She previously managed social media strategy for a tech startup, giving her firsthand experience with the platforms she now covers.
