Roblox Scandals, Lawsuits & New Features
If you’ve been anywhere near the Roblox community in the past month, you’ll know it’s been a wild ride. From massive security breaches to viral new features, from lawsuits to record‑breaking player numbers, Roblox has found itself in the spotlight again—and not always for the reasons it would have wanted. Last month the platform went through one of the most turbulent periods in its history. Here’s the story, told like it unfolded.
It all started in early August, when chaos broke out. On August 6, news spread quickly through Discord servers and Twitter (or X, as some still insist on calling it): a huge phishing scam had compromised nearly 195,000 Roblox accounts. Kids and even seasoned developers had been tricked by a simple bait—"Get 500 free Robux!" The scam spread like wildfire. Before Roblox could step in, thousands of players logged in to find their inventories wiped, their avatars vandalized, or their accounts hijacked to spread the same malicious links. It wasn’t the first time Roblox had been targeted by hackers, but the sheer scale of this breach made it different. For days, the community buzzed with panic, while Roblox scrambled to patch the problem. Some players described it as the most widespread hack in the platform’s history.
But if the security scare wasn’t enough, what came next threw gasoline on an already burning fire.
On August 9, a YouTuber known as Schlep—someone who had built a following by exposing predators on Roblox—was suddenly banned. Not just banned, but served with a cease‑and‑desist letter. For months, Schlep had been creating videos where he would confront adults attempting to groom children on the platform, often with sting‑operation style setups. Many of his fans saw him as a hero, a vigilante fighting to protect kids where Roblox itself had failed. Roblox, on the other hand, argued that such actions only endangered children further and violated their policies. The ban sparked an outrage like nothing else. Hashtags like #FreeSchlep exploded across social media.
Memes, protest videos, and petitions circulated, some gaining hundreds of thousands of signatures. Even a U.S. congressman weighed in, criticizing Roblox for silencing someone who was “doing the job they wouldn’t do.”
This wasn’t just internet drama. It became a movement. Roblox had drawn a line in the sand, but the community pushed back, demanding accountability.
And accountability came knocking, quite literally, in the courts.
On August 14, the attorney general of Louisiana filed a lawsuit against Roblox, accusing the company of failing to adequately protect minors on its platform. This was no small claim—it followed a wave of parental lawsuits already making headlines. One particularly disturbing case reported by the New York Post alleged that a predator had lured a 10‑year‑old girl into sending explicit photos in exchange for Robux. The phrase “Roblox is a haven for predators” started appearing in articles, with People reporting that hundreds of families across the U.S. were pursuing legal action against the company. Roblox, once seen as a harmless creative sandbox, was now being portrayed in mainstream media as a dangerous playground with real‑world consequences.
Amidst all this, anger turned toward Roblox’s leadership. By late August, more than 250,000 players had signed a petition demanding the resignation of CEO David Baszucki. The petition accused him of ignoring community concerns, prioritizing profits, and presiding over what they called “the most unsafe period in Roblox history.” It was rare to see such a direct call for the head of one of the biggest companies in gaming, and though Baszucki hasn’t budged, the pressure is undeniable.
Ironically, while Roblox was fighting fires on one front, it was hitting historic highs on another. Two games—Steal a Brainrot and Grow a Garden—went viral in ways the platform had never seen before. Steal a Brainrot, in particular, became a cultural phenomenon, peaking at 20 million concurrent players. Combined, Roblox saw a record 47.4 million players online at the same time. For a company under siege, these numbers were a reminder of just how massive its reach remains. No matter the controversy, kids and teens keep logging in.
Then came the first week of September, when Roblox tried to shift the narrative back in its favor. At its annual Roblox Developers Conference (RDC) on September 5, the company unveiled a brand‑new feature: Roblox Moments.
Think of it as Roblox’s answer to TikTok—a built‑in tool that lets players record clips of gameplay, edit them with effects, and share them within the Roblox ecosystem. For now, it’s only in beta and limited to players over 13, but the promise is clear: Roblox wants to keep its users not just playing, but creating content that fuels discovery and virality. As one Roblox spokesperson said during the keynote, “We want every game session to have the potential to be shared, replayed, and remembered.”
The company also celebrated some positive news: developers on the platform had earned over $1 billion in the past year, a 31% increase compared to the previous period. The top 10 developers each made an average of nearly $34 million, while the top 100 averaged $6 million. It was a staggering reminder that Roblox isn’t just a kids’ game—it’s one of the largest creator economies in the world.
But Roblox couldn’t ignore the elephant in the room: safety. Alongside Moments and the revenue stats, the company announced new protections. The biggest one? Facial age estimation technology. Using AI, Roblox will now estimate a user’s age and place them into brackets: under 13, 13+, or 18+. The idea is to prevent adults from chatting with children unless they can prove they know each other in real life. It’s a bold move, one that has sparked debates about privacy and feasibility, but also a necessary response to the lawsuits piling up. In addition, Roblox announced that experiences (its term for games) will now come with ESRB ratings in the U.S. and similar age classifications globally through IARC. This means parents can finally see whether a Roblox game is “E for Everyone” or meant for older teens before letting their kids dive in.
Looking back at this month, it’s hard to think of another time when Roblox has faced such extremes. On one hand, the platform is under siege: lawsuits, petitions, scandals, and accusations of negligence. On the other, it’s bigger than ever: more players than any other game on Earth, developers earning life‑changing sums of money, and innovative features rolling out.
Some call it Roblox’s “crisis of trust.” Others see it as a growing pain of a platform that is trying to be both a safe playground for kids and a billion‑dollar industry for adults. Whatever the case, the story of Roblox between August and September 2025 will likely go down as a turning point. Will it emerge stronger, with new safeguards and a tighter bond with its community? Or will it continue to face the backlash of a player base that feels ignored?
As one fan put it on Reddit after the Schlep ban: “We love Roblox, but right now it doesn’t love us back.”
For further reading and context, check out these reports:
Whether you’re a parent, a developer, or just someone who loves to play, one thing is certain: Roblox’s story isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
