Roblox announced a new feature called “Build” that lets users design games from their mobile devices using AI, without programming experience. Users can type a text prompt (e.g., “Let’s make a cozy adventure game set in a dense forest”) and the AI — powered by a mix of open-source and proprietary Roblox models — generates an initial version covering gameplay mechanics, environment, characters, visual style, and sound. Users can then modify and share the game. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Tencent have built similar tools.

The announcement comes amid industry concerns about generative AI lowering game quality. The 2024 Game Developer Conference survey found that 52% of game industry professionals believe generative AI is having a negative impact. Critics worry that reducing barriers via text prompts could flood platforms with low-quality, repetitive games and increase competition for creators. Roblox plans to counter this by ranking AI-generated games based on player retention; games that aren’t played won’t be featured prominently. “Our discovery systems are designed to highlight games with long-term retention, which doesn’t include AI slop,” the company stated.

The Build feature enters public alpha testing on July 28, available in New Zealand for users aged 9 and older with age verification. Users 16+ can publish creations globally. A free basic version and paid options will be available.

Beyond Build, Roblox is developing AI agents to assist creators with playtesting and analytics, expected in coming months. The company is also working on an AI foundation model for generating 3D game assets, an AI developer chatbot, and a “new scene-generation model” that creates editable 3D scenes from a single text prompt. The announcement follows Roblox’s disclosure that it plans to discontinue “Roblox Connect,” its 2023 avatar-based video calling feature.