Roblox Introduces IARC Age Ratings and Tighter Chat Verification for 2025

Roblox, one of the world’s largest online gaming platforms, is rolling out a major change that will impact both players and parents. The company announced that it is replacing its own maturity system with internationally recognized age ratings provided by the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC). This means that the experiences – Roblox’s term for games – will now display familiar ratings such as ESRB in North America, PEGI in Europe and the UK, USK in Germany, and GRAC in South Korea.

For families, this shift creates an experience more in line with buying a traditional video game, where parents can instantly understand if a title is suitable for their children.

Safety concerns have always haunted Roblox. The platform has often been accused of being too lenient with predators exploiting its large underage user base. In fact, only last year Bloomberg reported more than 13,000 incidents of child exploitation on Roblox in 2023 alone. Cases like these prompted lawsuits, including one filed in Louisiana by attorney general Liz Murril, who accused Roblox of failing to protect children. Roblox called those allegations inaccurate, but the pressure has clearly pushed the company to strengthen safeguards.

The new rating system isn’t the only change. By the end of 2025, Roblox will also require players to verify their age before they can use in-game chat. Until now, Roblox relied only on the date of birth typed in during account creation, which made it simple for kids – or bad actors pretending to be kids – to bypass restrictions. The new process will combine government-issued ID checks, parental consent, and even facial age estimation technology to verify users more accurately. While some might find facial recognition controversial, Roblox argues that it’s a necessary step to ensure genuine protection for younger users.

Patricia Vance, president of the ESRB and chairperson of IARC, emphasized that families everywhere will benefit from having consistent, trusted ratings they already know. She also highlighted that Roblox creators themselves gain a streamlined system to assign age ratings to their games, rather than navigating complex, region-specific processes. This gives developers clarity, while giving parents peace of mind.

Roblox’s chief safety officer Matt Kaufman said the company has already launched more than 100 new safety initiatives this year, building on what he called a “strong foundation.” Still, insiders have admitted the company has historically struggled to keep predators out, often reacting instead of preventing. These fresh measures show Roblox is attempting to take a more proactive approach, acknowledging that protecting millions of kids requires constant vigilance and technological upgrades.

For everyday players and families, the impact is simple but important: Roblox games will carry familiar labels like ‘Everyone 10+’ or ‘Teen,’ and kids won’t be able to just fake their birth year to unlock chat. While some may complain about stricter checks, most parents will welcome stronger protections – especially those who have seen first-hand how dangerous unmoderated chat spaces can be.