Roblox shares tumble as forecast cut signals safety measures weighing on user growth
Roblox Faces User Growth Challenges Amid Safety Initiatives and Market Competition
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By Harshita Mary Varghese
Roblox Lowers Annual Bookings Forecast
May 1 (Reuters) - Roblox shares on Friday plunged to their lowest levels in 18 months after the company cut its annual bookings forecast, raising concerns that new safety measures could suppress user growth for several quarters.
The videogame platform warned of "continued short-term friction" from new product changes, including age-based accounts, age verification and expanded content monitoring, which have restricted communication and slowed user acquisition.
Updated Financial Outlook
The company now expects full-year bookings of $7.33 billion-$7.6 billion, down from the $8.28 billion-$8.55 billion it forecast earlier.
Net bookings are generated from in-game purchases of Roblox's virtual currency "Robux".
Analyst Reactions
"The magnitude of the guide cut suggests limited visibility, which makes it hard for us to gain confidence that the forecast is conservative," analysts at Jefferies said.
Stock Performance and Market Impact
Roblox shares were down 19% at $45.07 with the company set to lose more than $7 billion from its market valuation of $39.55 billion if losses hold. The stock has fallen about 32% this year after seeing a 40% gain last year.
The platform is coming off a strong 2025, powered by forecast upgrades and viral hits that drove surging engagement, with daily active users topping 100 million.
Safety Measures and Industry Response
Background on Safety Probes
The product changes come after multiple probes into Roblox over child safety and harmful content, including concerns around inappropriate interactions and exposure risks for younger users.
Complexity of Safeguards
Roblox’s reliance on user-generated content makes adding safeguards more complex and costly. Other gaming platforms, with older user bases, face less pressure to implement similar measures.
Industry-Wide Implications
The company's management predicted on Thursday that its age-check technology will be adopted by others in "gaming, social media and AI chatbot spaces," signaling industry-wide changes.
Meta and Legal Scrutiny
Meta faces similar child-safety concerns that have triggered legal scrutiny and bans in several markets.
Competitive Landscape and Future Risks
Rising Competition
Analysts also flagged rising competition for Roblox from Fortnite and the expected November release of Take-Two Interactive's "Grand Theft Auto VI" that could drive billions in revenue.
Potential Impact of GTA VI Release
"Any success achieved ahead of TTWO's GTA VI may be erased after GTA VI release and therefore lead to further headwinds for bookings growth in '27," D.A. Davidson analyst Wyatt Swanson said.
Fortnite's Return to Google App Store
Multiplayer "Fortnite" returned to Google's app store worldwide in March, ending a long-running dispute between Epic Games and the company.
(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Joyjeet Das)
