Roblox's Most-Played Games Aren't Its Top Earners
- Aug 11
- 4 min read
In last week's post, we explored the top Roblox games in July based on average concurrent users (CCU's), which included Brookhaven, Animal Hospital, and Grow a Garden 2. Those games attracted the most players in July, and popular games like them get all of the attention.
But when you compare the most-played games list with the top-earning games list, both available in the "Charts" section of Roblox, you see some interesting differences. It turns out that just because you have the most-played game on the platform doesn't mean it's the game generating the most revenue.
The #1 Earner Is the 38th Most-Played Game
This past Monday night August 10th, 2026, I looked at both the Top Earning charts and the Most Played charts within a few minutes of each other. The number-one earning game on Roblox was Gakuran, an anime fighting game. By concurrent players it ranked 38th, with about 30,000 people playing. That means that the single highest-earning experience on the platform was the 38th most-played.
Meanwhile Brookhaven sat third by active players with roughly 370,000 CCUs and 86 billion lifetime visits, one of the most-played and most-visited games in Roblox history. Although it was one of the most popular games in terms of CCUs, it did not appear among the top-40 earning games at all.
UPDATE 8/12/26: It was pointed out to me that my Roblox Charts were at the default setting of Device: Computer and Location: United States.
When I change device from "Computer" to "Standard Phone," Gakuran falls to 7th, and Brookhaven climbs all the way up into the 9th spot in the Top-Earning US list. That adds interesting nuance into this situation, where we can see some games monetize far better on mobile than desktop.
When expanding beyond the US to Worldwide on all devices, Gakuran sits at 5th place, and Brookhaven is at 8th place.
Where the Players Are vs. Where the Money Is Spent
Scanning the top-earning games shows you titles like Gakuran, Anime Expeditions, Rivals, Blox Fruits, Jujutsu Shenanigans, Blade Ball, plus several RNG and roll-based titles like Sol's RNG. These are overwhelmingly anime, fighting, and games built on rolling for rare items. When you look at the top of the player-count board, you see different type of games: Murder Mystery 2, Grow a Garden 2, Brookhaven, 99 Nights in the Forest. They're big, social, and casual. Although the largest amounts of people flock to these big games, there's significant money to be made with anime, fighting and roll-based games.
Every Roblox Hit Shares the Same Foundation
Almost every successful Roblox game gets two things right.
It hooks you immediately, offering an initial reward and/or a level-up that makes you want the next one.
It puts you on a journey from noob to pro, a sense that you are progressing and becoming someone in the game.
Miss these core elements, and your game will struggle to attract players at all.
The Top-Earning Roblox Games Add Competitive Advantage
The top earners add one more thing on top: offer the chance to pay for a competitive advantage. A developer I talked to put it plainly. Competitive games monetize well because people genuinely want to beat other people. When the game is built around winning against real opponents, there is constant pressure to have the edge, the better weapon, the rarer fighting style, the stronger build. Rewards and progression get you hooked. But beating other players is what gets you to pay.
It's worth noting that competition does not necessarily mean combat. It means being ranked against other people. Dress to Impress never throws a punch, but every round scores you against everyone else in the server, and the cosmetics and access you buy are the tools you use to place higher. That is competitive advantage in a dress-up game.
Gakuran and the RNG games sell another roll, a chance at something rare that gives you an advantage. In many cases, the money players spend is attached to coming out ahead of the players, and the urgency comes from others, not from the game itself.
Why the Giant Sandboxes Monetize Softly
Now let's look at the lightly-monetized giants through the same lens. Brookhaven has the loop and the social pull, but there is nothing to win. So there's nothing you need to buy to win it. These games are hugely popular precisely because they are low-pressure, and that same quality is why they convert so softly. They offer presence and self-expression, which people love. But those same people do not feel compelled to pay to get ahead.
Soft Monetization Is Where Brands Can Fit
The games that don't monetize their own players super hard are often more open to brand integrations, because they have enormous audiences and no competitive economy of their own to protect. Brookhaven is an interesting example. Its owner, Voldex, ran a Minions collaboration with NBCUniversal and Illumination tied to this summer's film, turning that massive casual audience into brand-partnership revenue.
Conclusion
The next time someone shows you a Roblox game topping the charts, ask which chart. If it is players or CCU's, you are looking at reach. If it is earnings, you are likely looking at a spending machine built on competition.
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Stephen Dypiangco is one the world’s leading experts on the topic of Roblox and brands. He has advised global companies on their Roblox strategies, including BBC Studios, Paramount, and Takara Tomy.
With 120+ articles published about Roblox and a following of over 14,000 across LinkedIn and his industry leading Max Power Gaming newsletter, he is widely regarded by gaming industry executives and investors as a trusted resource.
Stephen is building the premiere network of Roblox professionals to help this emerging sector connect and scale through his unique blend of relevant content and community events.
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