Roblox on Thursday announced a new feature called “Build” that allows users to design games from their mobile devices using AI.
The Build feature lets anyone turn simple text messages into a basic game without any programming experience. If a user e.g. writes “Let’s make a cozy adventure game in a dense forest”, the new feature will generate an initial version of the game, which users can then modify and share with friends.
“Powered by a broad set of AI models, including both open source and proprietary Roblox models, Build handles gameplay mechanics, environment, characters, visual style, audio and more,” the company wrote in a blog post.
Companies like Google, Microsoft and Tencent have built similar tools. However, AI-powered game generation has raised concerns among developers and players, with critics arguing that lowering the barriers to game development via text prompts could lead to an influx of low-quality, repetitive games. This could also increase competition on the platform, as creators are required to compete not only with other developers, but also with AI-generated content that can be produced much faster.
These concerns are reflected in this year’s Game Developer Conference State of the Game Industry survey, which found that 52% of game industry professionals believe that generative AI is having a negative impact on the industry.
To address this, Roblox plans to rank these AI-generated games based on player retention, similar to the system used for other games on the platform. If a game is not being played, it will not be displayed as prominently.
“Our discovery systems are designed to highlight games with long-term retention that don’t include AI slop. The quality of games on the website doesn’t change: If no one plays it – no one can find it. The goal across these new tools is to continue to accelerate creation across all experience levels,” the company added.
The Build feature goes into public alpha testing on July 28, available to New Zealand users aged nine and over who have verified their age. Users aged 16 and up will have the opportunity to publish their creations to a global audience. There will be a free, basic version available along with payment options.
In addition to the Build feature, Roblox is also working on developing AI agents that will help creators test and provide analytics. These features are expected to launch in the coming months.
The new feature highlights Roblox’s ongoing investment in AI, including an AI base model for generating 3D game assets and an AI chatbot to support developers through the game building process. In addition, Roblox is developing a “new scene generation model” capable of creating entire editable and playable 3D scenes from a single text prompt.
Additionally, the announcement comes shortly after Roblox revealed plans to discontinue “Roblox Connect,” the avatar-based video calling feature introduced in 2023.
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