Roblox announced on Thursday a new feature called Build that enables users to design games on mobile devices using artificial intelligence. The tool turns simple text prompts into an initial playable version of a game, which users can then edit and share.
For instance, entering a prompt like “Let’s make a cozy adventure game set in a dense forest” will prompt Build to generate a starter game that includes gameplay mechanics, environment, characters, visual style and sound, according to the company. Roblox says the feature is powered by a broad set of AI models, including both open-source and proprietary Roblox models.
Why it matters and the concerns
Similar AI-driven game-creation tools are being developed by companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Tencent. However, the ease of generating games from text has sparked concern among developers and players: critics warn that lowering barriers to creation could result in a flood of low-quality, repetitive games. That would also raise competition on the platform, forcing creators to compete not only with other developers but with AI-generated content that can be produced far more quickly.
Those worries are reflected in this year’s Game Developers Conference State of the Game Industry survey, which found that 52% of game industry professionals believe generative AI is having a negative impact on the industry.
Roblox’s approach to quality and discovery
Roblox says it will rank AI-generated games based on player retention, using the same general discovery logic applied to other games on the platform. The company emphasizes that if a game is not played, it will not be promoted prominently. “Our discovery systems are designed to highlight games with long-term retention, which doesn’t include AI slop. The quality of games on the homepage isn’t changing: If no one plays it — no one can find it,” Roblox wrote.
Availability, age limits and pricing
Build will enter public alpha testing on July 28 and will be available to users in New Zealand who are nine years of age or older and have verified their age. Users aged 16 and up will be able to publish their creations to a global audience. There will be a free basic version of the feature as well as paid options.
Additional AI tools in development
Beyond Build, Roblox is developing AI agents to assist creators with playtesting and to provide analytics; these features are expected to roll out in the coming months. The company is also investing in an AI foundation model for generating 3D game assets and an AI chatbot to support developers during the game-building process. Additionally, Roblox says it is building a new scene-generation model that can create entire editable and playable 3D scenes from a single text prompt.
Service changes and context
The Build announcement comes shortly after Roblox disclosed plans to discontinue Roblox Connect, the avatar-based video-calling feature introduced in 2023.
Overall, Build is part of Roblox’s ongoing AI investments aimed at accelerating creation across different experience levels while relying on discovery and retention systems to help preserve the platform’s content quality.
