Preparing Your Experience for Roblox’s Under‑16 Catalog: Developer Verification and Practical Steps

Quick summary

Roblox's April 13 announcement introducing two under‑16 account tiers—Roblox Kids (ages 5–8) and Roblox Select (ages 9–15)—creates a new, curated catalog and a developer verification path for inclusion. If you build experiences on Roblox, this is a practical guide to what verification requires, how the catalog and rating changes affect content selection, and concrete steps to prepare before the early June 2026 rollout.

What changed (briefly)

• Roblox will assign under‑16 accounts via global age‑check technology or verified parent linkage and will automatically migrate users as they age.
• Under‑16 accounts access only content that clears an extended evaluation: Roblox Kids sees only Minimal or Mild games that pass a three‑step selection; Roblox Select can access up to Moderate content that passes selection.
• To be listed in the under‑16 catalog, developers must complete verification steps announced by Roblox; certain content categories are excluded by default (for example, social hangouts and free‑form drawing).

See Roblox’s announcement for the full policy text and rollout timing.

Developer verification: what Roblox lists as requirements

• ID verification: Developers must verify their identity according to Roblox's publisher requirements.
• Two‑step verification (2FA): Accounts must enable 2FA to reduce account takeover risk.
• Roblox Plus subscription: The April announcement specifies maintaining an active Roblox Plus subscription as one of the developer verification criteria for inclusion in under‑16 catalogs.

These requirements are intended to increase accountability for creators whose experiences are served to younger audiences. The complete announcement and policy text are available on Roblox’s newsroom.

Step‑by‑step checklist for creators

1. Audit your team and accounts: Identify which Roblox accounts and publisher entities are responsible for each experience. Prepare identity documents for the accounts that will apply for verification.
2. Enable 2FA everywhere: Ensure 2FA is active on all accounts that own or publish experiences. Treat 2FA as a gating requirement, not an optional extra.
3. Review the Roblox Plus requirement: If you aim for the under‑16 catalog, confirm subscription status for the accounts Roblox lists as needing Roblox Plus. Track official guidance in case policies change during rollout.
4. Map content to rating buckets: Use Roblox's Minimal/Mild/Moderate buckets as a starting point. Remove or refactor elements that could push an experience above the target bucket—especially open social tools, free‑form drawing, or unmoderated chat.
5. Apply early and document communications: When verification opens for publishers, submit required documents promptly and keep records of submissions. Monitor DevForum posts and Roblox’s newsroom for procedural updates.

Design and product implications

Beyond the verification form, the under‑16 catalog carries operational constraints creators must design around:

• Default exclusions: Experiences that Roblox excludes by default (sensitive issues, social hangouts, free‑form drawing) will likely require redesign or separate, age‑gated versions to be eligible.
• Communications defaults: For Roblox Kids (5–8), communications are disabled by default; Roblox Select keeps default communications unchanged for 9–15. Build onboarding and UX to explain communications expectations for parents and older children.
• Continuous evaluation: Roblox describes an ongoing evaluation process—developer verification, extended content evaluation, and rating—so keep compliance processes part of your development cycle, not a one‑time task.

Creator tooling and analytics changes to expect

Roblox has signaled developer tooling updates tied to the age‑check rollout: creator analytics will surface new age buckets, and the roadmap includes features such as preset chat, read‑only moderation channels, and re‑check triggers for behavior mismatches. Plan for analytics segmentation by the new age buckets so you can measure usage and retention separately for Kids, Select, and standard audiences.

Practical tips for a smoother rollout

• Create age‑targeted forks: Instead of over‑sanitizing a single product, maintain targeted builds—one version vetted for under‑16 catalogs and another for general audiences.
• Document in‑experience limits: Clearly surface what features are disabled or restricted for under‑16 players so parents and players understand the experience tradeoffs.
• Leverage DevForum and newsroom updates: Roblox’s DevForum roadmap posts and newsroom announcements will provide operational details and timing—subscribe to relevant threads and the newsroom index for changes.
• Test with moderation scenarios: Exercise read‑only and preset chat flows in staging so you can observe behavior and ensure your experience remains playable without open chat or certain social features.

Timeline and what to watch next

Roblox announced the feature set on April 13, 2026, with a stated rollout in early June 2026. Expect follow‑on updates to developer requirements, analytics delivery, and a later transition to the IARC rating framework for region‑specific compliance. Keep an eye on official posts for any adjustments to verification mechanics or subscription requirements.

Bottom line

If your audience includes young players, treat developer verification and under‑16 catalog readiness as a product priority. Start with account hygiene (2FA and identity readiness), map content to the platform’s rating buckets, and maintain a separate, verified build where necessary. Early preparation will both reduce friction during Roblox’s rollout and position your experiences to reach under‑16 players safely and compliantly.

Roblox: Introducing Roblox Kids and Select accounts (Apr 13, 2026)