Roblox experts share their picks for the top Roblox stories of 2024.
Every week we publish exclusive research about how brands are activating on the Roblox platform.
As 2024 comes to a close, it's a great time to reflect upon all of the major strides that Roblox has made as a platform as well as the major Roblox projects released by top global brands and community developers.
When I think back on the year, standout stories include:
The explosion in popularity of Dress to Impress, a community-made fashion game which garnered unprecedented mainstream attention for a Roblox experience
The launch of Roblox video ads, enabling advertisers a powerful and familiar way to reach Roblox players without having to build a full experience or do an integration
The launch of e-commerce within Roblox experiences (first with Walmart and more recently with Shopify), opening the opportunity for developers to earn more revenue than they would via micro transactions alone
In order to compile more perspectives on Roblox's developments over the year, I reached out to several Roblox experts to share their thoughts.
What was the biggest story / development on Roblox in 2024? What made this story so interesting?
SHOPIFY ECOMMERCE
"The announcement of Shopify as Roblox's commerce integration partner. This changes the game for brands and IP owners in terms of plugging Roblox in to their wider media/franchise ecosystem, and helps justify investment." - Jo Redfern, Independent Media Consultant
ROBLOX PLATFORM EVENTS
"Roblox bringing back events like the Annual Egg Hunts, Giftsplosions, and Summer Games was a highlight for me as both a developer and player. It’s clear this move was inspired by the nostalgia trend and the success of Fortnite’s OG Mode. Roblox likely realized that expecting the community to take over events wasn’t feasible due to limited tools and influence. The best path forward is for Roblox to continue hosting large-scale events while involving developers to collaborate." - Corin Duffin, CEO of Banana Studios
PROGRAMMATIC ADS
"The biggest development on Roblox in 2024 was undeniably the rollout of programmatic ads as a full product on the platform. Although ads are still a small fraction of Roblox’s business, they are a huge potential growth area. The introduction of programmatic will make it easier for brands to dip their toes into Roblox, creating a rising tide for stakeholders across the ecosystem."
- Alexander Lee, Senior Gaming and esports reporter, Digiday
CHILD SAFETY & PRIVACY
"Unfortunately, the Hindenberg report into child safety on the platform was undeniably the biggest story for Roblox in 2024. While those of us who work in the space know that most of the scare stories referenced were old and that safety measures are improving exponentially, most casual observers will only read the headlines and think the worst. Senior decision makers at brands can be naturally risk averse so it's essential that Roblox does all it can to assuage concerns around this issue ASAP which I'm sure they will continue to do."
- Max Proctor, CEO, The Gang
DRESS TO IMPRESS
"Dress to Impress. The game was built by a first-time developer and had massive unexpected growth. It also expanded the audience by enticing a huge amount of new non-Roblox players."
ECOMMERCE
"The rise of commerce on Roblox is revolutionizing how players shop, enabling them to purchase physical products directly from virtual experiences. This seamless integration of virtual and real-world commerce is poised to disrupt the retail industry, transforming Roblox into a powerful direct-to-consumer sales channel.
And it’s not just for traditional retailers like Walmart—players can now buy movie tickets through Fandango within Roblox, exemplifying the platform’s growing role in blurring the lines between digital and real-world entertainment.
In short, Roblox’s brand offerings are rapidly evolving. What began with standalone games, integrations, and display ads has expanded to include retail, ticket sales, and much more."
- Alli Guglielmino, SVP of Growth, Gamefam
What's one important thing that you learned about Roblox in 2024?
NARRATIVE STORYTELLING POTENTIAL
"That the potential for narrative storytelling was far deeper than I assumed." - Jo Redfern, Independent Media Consultant
ROBLOX'S APPROACH TO AI
"Roblox has introduced a lot of AI models into Roblox. Like the rest of the more "indie" developer community we're worried about how AI models might take our work and create it for themselves, removing us from the equation. Roblox has shown restraint in ensuring that AI is not too overbearing, but who's to say that this opinion won't change."
- Corin Duffin, CEO of Banana Studios
CHILD SAFETY POLICIES
"In 2024, I learned that Roblox was doing a better job than I realized regarding child safety. After the Hindenburg report came out, I started digging into the child safety policies on the platform, and I was impressed by what I found. In the coming year, I believe Roblox will need to work harder to communicate these changes and policies to skeptical users."
- Alexander Lee, Senior Gaming and esports reporter, Digiday
MAINSTREAM AWARENESS
"It's now fully part of mainstream culture. When my dear old dad is forwarding me news stories that he's reading about the platform via his usual media sources you know this is no longer a niche platform for kids."
- Max Proctor, CEO, The Gang
ROBLOX LEADERSHIP IN UGC GAMING
"The continued platform growth has solidified my belief that Roblox is the leading UGC gaming platform and is well-positioned to hold that title for the next couple years at least."
IMPORTANCE OF ROBLOX FOR REACHING GEN Z
"Every brand needs a metaverse strategy, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. In 2024 alone, hundreds of brands have activated on Roblox, and this momentum shows no signs of slowing—especially with the introduction of commerce in early 2025.
Brands are beginning to recognize the importance of tapping into Roblox’s 88.9 million daily active users to connect with the highly influential Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. Much like Instagram and TikTok, it’s critical for brands to allocate marketing budgets to Roblox to engage with this key demographic and build meaningful relationships with the generations shaping today’s culture and soon to be driving discretionary spend for decades to come."
- Alli Guglielmino, SVP of Growth, Gamefam
What was the biggest story and lesson you had from Roblox in 2024? Share your thoughts with me on LinkedIn.
Have a Roblox game you'd like me to write about? Send me an email with more details: steve [at] maxpowergaming.co
Stephen Dypiangco is a strategy and marketing consultant , helping brands reach young audiences on Roblox.
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