Roblox launches AI-powered game-creation tool for mobile

Roblox announced Thursday a new feature called “Build,” allowing users to design games from their mobile devices using AI. The feature lets anyone turn simple text prompts into a basic game without any programming experience — for example, typing “Let’s make a cozy adventure game set in a dense forest” generates 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, sound, and more,” the company wrote in its blog post.

Companies including Google, Microsoft, and Tencent have built similar tools. But AI-powered game generation has raised concerns among developers and players, with critics arguing that lowering the barrier to game development via text prompts could flood the platform with low-quality, repetitive games — and increase competition, since creators would have to compete not just with other developers but with AI-generated content that can be produced far more quickly. Those concerns 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.

To address this, Roblox plans to rank AI-generated games by player retention, the same system used for other games on the platform — if a game isn’t played, it won’t be featured prominently. The company said its discovery systems are designed to highlight games with long-term retention rather than low-effort AI-generated content, adding that the quality of games on the homepage isn’t changing: if no one plays a game, no one will find it.

Build will enter public alpha testing on July 28, available to users in New Zealand aged nine and older who have verified their age. Users 16 and up will be able to publish their creations to a global audience. A free, basic version will be available alongside paid options. Beyond Build, Roblox is also developing AI agents to help creators with playtesting and analytics, features anticipated to roll out in the coming months.

Why it matters

Build extends Roblox’s push to make AI central to how games get made on its platform, but the company’s bet is that its retention-based discovery system, not manual moderation, will keep an influx of AI-generated content from degrading the experience for players.