What the Max Power Gaming Community Says Shaped Roblox in 2025
- Stephen Dypiangco
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
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Late last year I asked the Max Power Gaming community to reflect on what defined Roblox in 2025 and where the platform is heading next. Responses came from developers, studio leaders, product managers, and operators actively building inside the ecosystem.
In total, 24 respondents shared their perspectives. While this isn’t a statistically representative sample of all Roblox developers, it is a highly informed one, people close to the platform’s data, business realities, and creative evolution. Here are the most interesting takeaways.
The Biggest Roblox Game of 2025
One result stood out immediately.
Out of 24 total responses, Grow a Garden overwhelmingly emerged as the game that defined Roblox in 2025.
Top Games of 2025 (by votes)
Grow a Garden – 15 votes (63%)
99 Nights in the Forest – 2 votes
Steal a Brainrot – 2 votes
"The emergence of the mega-games like Grow a Garden and 99 Nights in the Forest made it clear studios, game publishers and IP owners need to take the platform seriously." - Doug Rosen, Former GM, Games & Emerging Media, Paramount
The Biggest Story or Development of 2025
When asked about the most important story on Roblox this year, responses clustered around scale, consolidation, and competitive relevance beyond Roblox itself. Several respondents pointed to Roblox games entering the broader gaming conversation, not just as UGC curiosities, but as legitimate competitors for attention.
“A race for the highest CCU began with Dead Rails, peaked with Grow a Garden, and was surpassed again by Steal a Brainrot. What once seemed impossible in 2024 appeared almost effortless by 2025. This achievement is impressive within the Roblox ecosystem, but even more remarkable when viewed in the context of a gaming industry that was otherwise in decline." - Stefan Erdmann, Senior Product Manager, Gameforge
"I still feel there's a level of snobbery from the broader gaming industry when it comes to talking about Roblox, but the numbers don't lie and it's growth is now impossible to ignore."
- Max Proctor, CEO, The Gang
Others highlighted ecosystem maturity and consolidation as a signal of long-term viability.
“Voldex buying Brookhaven and a single guy building Grow a garden in a week :)"
- Karol Masalski, Managing Partner, Game Changer
What People Learned About Roblox in 2025
When reflecting on lessons learned this year, respondents emphasized focus, retention, and depth over novelty. Several noted that success on Roblox increasingly comes through working with Roblox natives who understand the culture.
"You can’t create a hit with a concept and analytics alone — you need creators who genuinely understand Roblox culture, humor, pacing, and social language. UGC gaming rewards teams who can move fast, iterate with players, and build mechanics that feel organic to the ecosystem. It’s much closer to running a live service mobile game than producing a campaign."
- Doug Rosen
A few respondents also called out how critical game design and liveops updates are overall.
“Game design is the single most important element when it comes to a Roblox project." - Nic Hill, Co-Founder & CINO, Sawhorse
"As a developer, I learned the importance of frequent/weekly content updates to drive retention through FOMO."
- Andy Babb, CEO, Pixel Blaze
Where Roblox Stands for Brands
Across responses, there was broad agreement on one thing: Roblox has moved beyond experimentation for brands.
Respondents described Roblox today as:
A proven reach channel for Gen Z and Gen Alpha
A creative playground with fewer creative constraints than traditional media
Still early when it comes to standardized measurement and ROI frameworks
The opportunity is clear, but many noted that execution quality and measurement maturity will determine how fast brand investment continues to scale.
And brands' expectation of how they show up on the platform are changing.
"Brands finally stopped treating Roblox like a “campaign platform” and started treating it like a product ecosystem.
It basically shifted from “build a fun branded world” to
“build a living, breathing product line that happens to be inside Roblox.”
That mindset change is everything."
- Dan Noxon, Client Director, The Gang
And as a quick aside: thank you to everyone at The Gang who took the time to fill out the survey.
The Biggest Challenges Going Into 2026
While optimism was strong, respondents were clear-eyed about what Roblox still needs to solve.
The most commonly cited challenges included:
Game discovery in an increasingly top-heavy ecosystem
Sustainable monetization for mid-tier developers
Clearer measurement standards for brands and partners
Balancing safety, scale, and creative freedom
Several respondents noted that while top games are thriving, the gap between breakout hits and everyone else continues to widen, raising questions about long-term ecosystem health.
Final Takeaway
If 2024 was about Roblox proving it could scale, 2025 was about Roblox proving it could dominate.
Grow a Garden became the clearest symbol of that shift, not just because it was popular, but because it reset expectations for what a Roblox experience can become.
The next chapter won’t be defined by novelty alone. It will be shaped by discovery systems, monetization frameworks, and how well Roblox supports an ecosystem that now operates at global scale.
If you contributed your thoughts to the survey, thank you. If you missed it, hope you'll join next year.
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