Roblox RDC 2025 — 10 creator tools and updates that matter

RDC is Roblox’s invite-only, hybrid conference for developers, brands, and creators, with updates spanning creation, scale, discovery, monetization, and safety. The event introduced first-party AI tools for generating functional assets, major engine upgrades for high-fidelity and competitive play, a new discovery surface (Roblox Moments), expanded licensing options, and an increase in Developer Exchange payouts.

The gist of the event

• Creator economics: The DevEx rate increases from $0.0035 to $0.0038 per Robux (about 8.5% higher cash-out), and creators collectively earned over $1B in the past year.
• Scale and performance: Roblox reported 111.8M average daily active users, 390B visits over the last twelve months (to June 30, 2025), and a fully live São Paulo data center to reduce latency for Brazil.
• Production velocity: New AI-driven workflows (including “4D Objects”) and upgraded Studio Assistant aim to help small teams ship complex features faster.
• Discovery and growth: Moments (short-form gameplay clips) opens another path for experiences to be found organically; Ads Manager and licensing tools expand reach and revenue options.
• Safety: Expanded age estimation for users who access communication features and over 100 safety improvements since January 2025 underscore a continued focus on safe, civil interactions.

Roblox Moments (beta)

An on-platform short-form video feed that lets players capture, edit, and share gameplay clips. Viewers can jump straight into the featured experience from a clip. APIs and the source code for the Moments experience are slated to help creators build their own capture and discovery flows.

• Pros: Native discovery with instant “join” from clips; creator-extensible via upcoming APIs.
• Cons: Early-stage beta; moderation and workflow tooling still rolling out.

Read Newsroom Announcement

DevEx rate increase (+8.5%)

Roblox raised the Developer Exchange cash-out rate, so eligible creators receive 8.5% more when turning Earned Robux into cash. The change applies platform-wide, subject to the program’s rules and compliance requirements.

• Pros: Immediate, platform-wide uplift in cash-out value.
• Cons: Only benefits creators who qualify under DevEx program terms.

DevEx Overview

License Manager and Licenses catalog

Roblox’s licensing platform enables creators to legally build with partner IP at scale. New additions include Kodansha titles like “Blue Lock” and “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime,” with more brands joining. The catalog and workflows aim to streamline rights access for both creators and IP holders.

• Pros: Easier access to recognizable IP; scalable rights management.
• Cons: Licensing constraints and availability may vary by partner and use.

Newsroom

Text Generation + natural language suite

Roblox is expanding natural language capabilities with Text-to-Speech (10 English voice presets at launch), Speech-to-Text (coming later this year), and real-time translation for chat and, next year, for voice (starting with English, Spanish, French, and German). Paired with the Text Generation API, creators can build NPCs that converse contextually via text and voice, and even power voice-based game mechanics.

• Pros: Accessible voice features; dynamic, contextual NPC interactions.
• Cons: Some capabilities and languages are rolling out over time.

Newsroom

Engine and rendering upgrades

Roblox detailed a revamped asset pipeline with cloud transcoding and device-aware optimization, 4K texture rendering later this year, and SLIM (Scalable Lightweight Interactive Models) to replace Model LOD for instance streaming. Emissive maps are coming by year-end, acoustic simulation is in Studio beta, hydrodynamics will deliver more realistic buoyancy and drag, and in-experience CSG on meshes is planned for later this year.

• Pros: Higher fidelity with better performance across device tiers.
• Cons: Staggered rollout; some content may need validation for new rendering paths.

Regional Pricing (broader expansion)

Regional Pricing is expanding to cover more in-experience items, helping creators set prices that better reflect local economies. This can improve conversion and accessibility across diverse markets.

• Pros: Potentially higher conversion and fairer access in more regions.
• Cons: Creators should monitor revenue mix and adjust SKUs accordingly.

Newsroom

How it works / How to use the new capabilities

Below are the key areas with their current status and practical ways to begin.

• Create with AI
  • 4D Objects (coming soon): Generate functional, scripted assets from a prompt in select categories (e.g., vehicles, weapons), then extend behavior in your experience. Example: prompt a “two-seat rally buggy with off-road suspension,” spawn it, then cap max speed or add door and wheel interactions in your scripts.
  • Natural language APIs: Text-to-Speech includes 10 English voice presets; Speech-to-Text arrives later this year. Combine with text generation to build NPCs that converse with players. Example: an NPC verbally guides players through a puzzle; voice commands trigger actions (e.g., “activate shield”).
  • Real-time translation: Text chat translation covers Roblox’s 17 supported languages; real-time voice chat translation is planned for next year, initially for English, Spanish, French, and German.
  • Assistant with MCP (coming soon): Studio’s Assistant gains multi-step actions and will integrate via Model Context Protocol to import assets from third-party tools (e.g., UI from a design tool) directly into Studio.
• Engine upgrades for fidelity and scale
  • Revamped asset pipeline: Cloud transcoding and on-device optimizations dynamically tailor asset detail to device and distance, smoothing memory use and frame times across low-end phones to high-end PCs.
  • SLIM (early access): Scalable Lightweight Interactive Models generate high-quality, lightweight representations; planned to replace Model LOD for experiences with instance streaming by year-end. Tip: enable instance streaming and benchmark on lower-tier devices.
  • Graphics & simulation: 4K texture rendering is slated for later this year; emissive maps by year-end. Acoustic simulation is in Studio beta, hydrodynamics update (buoyancy, lift, drag) and in-experience CSG on meshes are planned for later this year. Example: build neon signage with emissive maps, or a boat race that reacts realistically to water forces.
• Competitive gameplay
  • Server authority (early access/closed beta): Shifts authoritative gameplay decisions to the server for better anti-cheat and more realistic physics. Works out of the box with default Roblox character controllers and physics objects.
  • Custom matchmaking: Broader rollout ahead; combine Roblox signals with custom skill ratings to tailor fair matches.
• Avatars and animation
  • Motion fidelity: The global avatar system is being upgraded for more lifelike actions (e.g., running, climbing, swimming, vaulting). Default movement abilities like crouch, sprint, and strafe are planned for early next year.
  • Creation tools: Adaptive animation format targets rig-agnostic workflows. Makeup arrives as a Studio beta this year, with in-experience creation and Marketplace availability targeted next year.
• Discovery, growth, and monetization
  • Roblox Moments (beta): Short-form gameplay clips help users discover and join experiences. Source code and APIs will be released so creators can build custom capture and sharing flows.
  • Discovery transparency: Roblox shared the ranking signals it uses so creators can optimize experiences intentionally.
  • Ads and pricing: Ads Manager has seen 40+ improvements this year; enhanced reporting and search ads updates are planned, plus a “maximize spend” objective early next year. Regional Pricing expands to more item types in the coming months.
  • Licensing: License Manager now features additional IP, including “Blue Lock,” “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime,” and more partners coming (e.g., Lionsgate titles for Halloween, Mattel brands, and the Skibidi franchise through Invisible Narratives).
  • DevEx increase (available now): The cash-out rate rises to $0.0038 per Robux.
• Workflow, data, and collaboration
  • Faster iteration: glTF export is live for smoother round-trips to Blender and other tools; one-click model re-import is coming. Folder-level Script Sync is planned to streamline code workflows.
  • Asset and change management: The revamped Asset Manager is in beta; mesh/image versioning is planned. More detailed place version history helps document live changes.
  • Team coordination: Comments in the 3D viewport, upcoming deeplinks, experience-level group permissions, and an updated Activity Tracker improve collaborative workflows.
  • Testing and analytics: Experience Betas (coming), Configs (later this year), and Experiments (apply for early testing) let you trial features, toggle them server-side, and measure impact. Over 93% of the top 1,000 creators already leverage analytics.
• Safety and trust
  • Age estimation: Required for users who access on-platform communication features by year-end, part of an initiative that shipped 100+ safety product/policy updates since January.
  • Community input: Applications are open for a creator Community Safety Council to provide structured feedback on policy and moderation.

FAQs

What changed with DevEx?
The cash-out rate increased from $0.0035 to $0.0038 per Robux, an 8.5% lift for eligible creators.

Can I generate fully functional assets with AI?
Yes—4D Objects will launch with categories like vehicles and weapons, returning interactive assets you can customize with your own logic.

How do the language features help gameplay?
Use Text-to-Speech for narration and character dialogue; use Speech-to-Text to power voice commands; combine with text generation to build NPCs with dynamic conversations. Text chat translation works across Roblox’s supported languages; real-time voice translation begins with English, Spanish, French, and German next year.

How do I try server authority and SLIM?
Both are entering early access. Watch the official DevForum for sign-up threads and instructions, then profile performance and cheating resistance in a small test cohort before wider rollout.

What is Roblox Moments?
A beta feature that enables short-form gameplay clips for discovery. Roblox will release APIs and the source code used for its own Moments experience so creators can embed similar capture and share flows.

What engine features are landing this year?
Planned items include 4K texture rendering, emissive maps, hydrodynamics updates, asset pipeline improvements, and in-experience CSG on meshes. Acoustic simulation is already in Studio beta.

What’s changing for avatars?
Expect more lifelike motion and new default abilities (crouch, sprint, strafe) early next year. Makeup arrives as a Studio beta this year; in-experience creation of clothing and accessories expands next year.

How is discovery evolving beyond Moments?
Roblox shared the ranking signals behind its discovery system to give creators clearer feedback loops. Ads Manager gains new reporting and objectives; licensing tools bring established IPs to creators at scale.

What safety changes should I plan for?
Age estimation will be required for users who access communication features by year-end, and Roblox continues to iterate on moderation and policy. A creator-led Community Safety Council will provide ongoing feedback.

Where do I keep up with rollouts?
Monitor the Roblox Creator Hub for documentation and Studio updates, and the DevForum for early access programs, announcements, and Q&A.