Roblox will increase its Developer Exchange (DevEx) rate by 42% for eligible in-game spend generated by age-verified players 18 and older in the United States, the company announced April 30. The increase takes effect June 8 and applies to games utilizing the platform’s R15 avatar framework, which upgrades characters with advanced skeletal joints, a new animation system, and full creator control through Roblox’s Luau scripting language.

Under the updated structure, creators’ effective earnings on qualifying in-game spend will rise to 37.8% from 26.6%. Eligible transaction types include game passes, Robux subscriptions, select in-game items, and private servers.

Adult Cohort Drives the Decision

Roblox is directing the rate increase at what it calls “novel” games: experiences that expand into new genres, use different gameplay mechanics, and carry a visual style distinct from classic Roblox games. The move reflects the company’s effort to grow its over-18 user base, which it identified in its Q1 2026 shareholder letter as its largest untapped growth opportunity.

Among users who have completed age checks, 26% are over 18. In the U.S., daily active users and hours engaged for that cohort both grew 40% year-over-year in Q1 2026, with the 18-to-34 segment growing over 50%. Over-18 users in the U.S. also monetize more than 50% higher than under-18 users. Roblox currently reaches fewer than 10% of U.S. adults aged 18 to 34 each day.

In 2025, Roblox reported paying out more than $1.5 billion to creators through DevEx. DevEx fees totaled $423 million in Q1 2026 alone, up 50% year-over-year, following a separate creator earnings increase the company announced in September 2025.

Creator Programs and Discovery Support

Roblox launched two programs alongside the rate announcement to support novel game development.

Roblox Jumpstart is a continuous program aimed at helping new and experienced creators explore novel game creation. Roblox Incubator is a six-month, milestone-driven program designed to help experienced teams build novel game concepts into commercially viable products. More than 8,000 creators have applied to the two programs since their launch.

The company also announced changes to its content discovery system, which will shift toward prioritizing long-term retention signals. A dedicated “Standout Games” section will appear on the second row of the Roblox home screen, using video previews to surface curated novel games. The recommendation engine will incorporate the same retention signals to connect qualifying games with broader audiences.

Competitive Context

The announcement arrives as Roblox faces intensifying competition for older players and creator talent. Epic Games’ ‘Fortnite’ began allowing creators to sell in-game items in December 2025 and is offering developers 100% of the V-Bucks value from item sales through the end of 2026 before reverting to a 50% share in 2027. Analysts at DA Davidson have flagged the period as representing elevated competition for Roblox in 2026 and 2027.

Roblox has separately announced it will begin collecting a percentage of revenue from brand integrations negotiated directly between creators and advertisers starting January 2027, a category from which creators previously kept 100% of fees. The exact revenue share has not been disclosed.

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