Roblox Expands AI Game Creation and Plans Games Outside Its Platform

Roblox is expanding its AI-powered game creation tools while preparing to let developers distribute games beyond the Roblox platform, including through web browsers and standalone apps on mobile, PC and consoles.

The announcements, made at the company’s annual Roblox Developer Conference, also include new NPC capabilities, offline play, creator financial tools and updates to game discovery and chat.

Roblox expands AI game creation

Roblox is broadening access to Build, a generative AI feature that lets users create games with natural-language prompts. First introduced in July and initially limited to New Zealand, Build is expanding to Serbia and Singapore.

The tool is also gaining desktop access, an asset library and more iterative controls. Later this year, Roblox plans to add prompt-based scene generation and extend that capability to Roblox Studio.

Developers will eventually be able to make Roblox-powered games available as standalone apps on mobile devices, PCs and consoles. By the end of the year, players are also expected to open games directly in a browser through a shared link.

New tools for games, NPCs and discovery

Roblox plans to introduce NPCs that can playtest games later this year. Creators will also be able to offer an offline mode so players can continue playing when network connections are weak.

A new Friends chat tab will remain available as players move between games and will support voice typing. Roblox is also updating its discovery system to recommend shorter games to younger users and longer-play experiences to older players.

The company is adding more 2D game-development capabilities, including an orthographic camera, animated image containers and direct sprite-sheet imports. In Roblox’s Moments feed, players will also be able to select avatars shown in clips and purchase associated items.

Roblox Wallet and Card target creator earnings

Roblox said creators have earned more than $5 billion on the platform since 2013, including $1.7 billion during the past 12 months.

The company is launching Roblox Wallet, which will allow eligible creators to receive real-money payouts by the end of each business day and transfer funds to bank accounts. Roblox is working with Airwallex to provide the service initially to U.S. users aged 18 and older, with international expansion planned later.

Roblox also previewed a Roblox Card expected to launch next year, allowing creators to spend their earnings at merchants that accept the card.

CEO and founder David Baszucki said players spent more than 29 billion hours on Roblox during the most recent quarter across 180 countries, as the company looks to expand both creation tools and the reach of games built with its technology.