Roblox partners with IARC for enhanced content ratings

Roblox Corporation announced September 3, 2025, a strategic partnership with the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) to implement globally recognized content ratings across its immersive gaming platform. The collaboration will replace Roblox's existing content maturity labels with familiar rating systems from trusted authorities worldwide.

According to the announcement, this integration will facilitate age and content rating assignments for Roblox experiences by rating authorities across various countries and regions. Players in the United States will see Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings, while those in the Republic of Korea will encounter Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC) classifications. German users will view Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) ratings, and players elsewhere in Europe and the United Kingdom will see Pan European Game Information (PEGI) ratings.

"Roblox is committed to creating a safe platform for our users and empowering parents to make the best decision for their children," said Matt Kaufman, Chief Safety Officer at Roblox. "We're excited to partner with IARC and hope it will provide parents globally with more clarity and confidence regarding age-appropriate content."

The IARC system encompasses nine rating authority participants representing regions serving more than 4 billion people. These include the Classification Board (ACB) in Australia, Classificação Indicativa (ClassInd) in Brazil, Digital Game Self-regulation Committee (DGSC) in Taiwan, Indonesian Game Rating System (IGRS) in Indonesia, and General Authority for Media Regulation (Gmedia) in Saudi Arabia, alongside the previously mentioned organizations.

The implementation addresses growing concerns about content oversight on gaming platforms. Louisiana filed a lawsuitagainst Roblox Corporation in August 2025, alleging the platform fails to protect children from predators while prioritizing revenue growth. The legal action characterized the platform as inadequately moderated despite employing approximately 3,000 moderators for its user base.

Patricia Vance, president of the ESRB and chairperson of IARC, emphasized the partnership's significance for families. "With so many families engaging with Roblox, it is hugely beneficial to provide parents with trusted and familiar ratings no matter where they live," Vance stated. "The globally streamlined process will provide Roblox creators with an efficient and proven process for obtaining age and content ratings, while informing parents of what their kids may experience before they play."

The IARC framework operates through a single questionnaire that immediately assigns different ratings for various territories worldwide. Developers and creators access the system through digital storefronts that have licensed and integrated the framework. There is no cost for developers to use the system, which features IARC-certified ratings that are ingested by storefronts and mapped for display in their respective regions.

IARC and its participating rating authorities maintain responsibility for monitoring and ensuring the accuracy of ratings assigned by the system. The system also assigns legally compliant age ratings in Russia and generic IARC ratings in territories without participating rating authorities.

The partnership announcement comes during a period of significant advertising expansion for Roblox. Google expanded its advertising partnership with Roblox through rewarded video advertising in August 2025, following the platform's decision to open video ads to all brands in May 2024. The company also established partnerships with PubMatic for programmatic video advertising capabilities in April 2024.

Roblox reported exceptional financial performance for Q2 2025, with revenue reaching $1,080.7 million, representing 21% year-over-year growth. Bookings surged to $1,437.6 million, marking 51% year-over-year growth and exceeding management expectations. Hours engaged increased 58% to 27.4 billion during the quarter, providing the audience scale necessary for premium advertising partnerships.

The platform's appeal to marketers stems from its concentrated Generation Z audience and high engagement rates. Roblox boasts over 71.5 million daily active users, with Generation Z comprising more than half of that user base. This demographic presents a significant opportunity for brands seeking to reach this target audience through an immersive platform environment.

The content rating implementation carries implications for digital marketers and advertising professionals operating within Roblox's ecosystem. Brand safety considerations have become increasingly important across social media and gaming platforms, with companies like DoubleVerify expanding brand safety controls and Integral Ad Science partnering with platforms to enhance content verification capabilities.

The timing of Roblox's IARC partnership aligns with broader industry movements toward enhanced platform accountability and advertiser brand safety requirements. Recent developments across the digital advertising landscape demonstrate increasing focus on content verification and measurement capabilities, particularly on platforms serving younger demographics.

Marketing professionals must evaluate whether association with gaming platforms through advertising partnerships aligns with corporate social responsibility standards. The Louisiana lawsuit's detailed allegations of child exploitation raise questions about brand safety considerations for companies advertising on platforms with significant underage user populations.

Regional pricing strategies within Roblox enable creators to adjust prices for digital goods based on users' geographic location and local purchasing power. This approach recognizes that global audiences have varying economic conditions and price sensitivities, helping democratize access to premium content while optimizing revenue potential across different markets.

The creator economy's health directly impacts advertising partnerships because engaged creators produce the content that attracts and retains users. Within Roblox, this economy includes game developers, virtual item designers, and experience builders who earn income through player spending, advertising partnerships, and platform revenue sharing.

Fortune 500 brands participate as advertisers on the platform, indicating enterprise-level adoption for marketing campaigns. The company highlighted several notable brand collaborations during the second quarter, including Travis Kelce's participation in a live question-and-answer session within the Grow a Garden experience, demonstrating celebrity partnership integration with platform advertising opportunities.

The IARC integration represents a systematic approach to content oversight across an international user base. The framework's adoption by Roblox demonstrates the platform's alignment with global safety standards while maintaining its position as a destination for user-generated content experiences.

Gaming platforms have increasingly prioritized advertising partnerships as traditional monetization models face pressure from economic headwinds and user acquisition costs. The integration of content rating systems addresses marketing industry demand for transparent, standardized approaches to age-appropriate content identification.

These clear, region-specific ratings reflect local cultural norms and will help families identify age-appropriate content while further reinforcing Roblox's stated commitment to global safety standards. The implementation enables parents to make informed choices about content consumption while providing creators with established frameworks for content development.

The partnership builds upon Roblox's previous safety infrastructure development, including collaborations with measurement providers and content verification systems. These initiatives enable sophisticated campaign measurement and optimization capabilities typically associated with premium advertising platforms.

Content provenance verification throughout the media supply chain has become increasingly important for advertisers seeking transparency about their media placements. The IARC framework provides established credibility through its representation of regions serving over 4 billion people globally.

The implementation will facilitate clearer communication between platform operators, content creators, and families regarding age-appropriate content identification. This systematic approach addresses the complexity of managing content oversight across diverse international markets with varying cultural standards and regulatory requirements.

As digital advertising platforms face increased scrutiny regarding content placement and user safety, the introduction of standardized rating systems represents a significant step toward creating transparent environments for advertisers and families. The IARC partnership positions Roblox within established frameworks for content oversight while maintaining its growth trajectory within the global gaming and advertising markets.

Timeline

• April 2024: Roblox partners with PubMatic for programmatic video advertising capabilities
• May 2024: Roblox opens video ads to all brands, making advertising available to all advertisers on the platform
• August 2024: Roblox expands Google advertising partnership with rewarded video launch
• August 2025: Louisiana sues Roblox platform over child safety failures, alleging inadequate protections
• September 3, 2025: Roblox announces strategic partnership with IARC for enhanced global age and content ratings

PPC Land explains

IARC (International Age Rating Coalition): The globally recognized standard for content ratings for digitally delivered games and apps, representing nine rating authorities across regions serving more than 4 billion people. IARC operates through a single questionnaire system that immediately assigns different ratings for various territories worldwide, providing a streamlined process for developers while ensuring locally relevant content classifications.

Content Rating Systems: Standardized frameworks used by regional authorities to classify digital content based on age appropriateness and content descriptors. These systems replace platform-specific labels with familiar, trusted ratings that parents and users recognize from traditional media, enabling more informed decision-making about content consumption across different cultural contexts and regulatory environments.

Brand Safety: The practice of ensuring advertisements appear alongside content that aligns with advertiser values and does not damage brand reputation. In gaming platforms like Roblox, brand safety considerations become particularly complex due to user-generated content and younger demographics, requiring sophisticated verification systems and content monitoring capabilities to protect advertiser investments.

Advertising Partnerships: Strategic collaborations between gaming platforms and technology companies that monetize user engagement through branded content, video advertisements, and programmatic advertising systems. These partnerships generate revenue for both platforms and content creators while providing advertisers access to engaged audiences, particularly valuable demographics like Generation Z users.

Generation Z Demographics: The cohort born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, representing a significant portion of Roblox's user base and a primary target for digital marketers. This demographic is characterized by high digital engagement, skepticism toward traditional advertising methods, and preference for immersive, interactive content experiences, making platforms like Roblox valuable for brand reach.

User-Generated Content: Digital content created by platform users rather than professional developers or media companies, forming the foundation of Roblox's experience ecosystem. This content model presents unique challenges for content oversight and rating systems, as the volume and variety of user creations require scalable automated systems combined with human moderation capabilities.

Programmatic Advertising: Automated systems for buying and selling digital advertising inventory using real-time bidding and data-driven targeting capabilities. Roblox's integration with programmatic advertising through partnerships with Google, PubMatic, and other providers enables advertisers to reach specific audiences while maintaining efficiency and scale across the platform's global user base.

Platform Monetization: Revenue generation strategies employed by digital platforms, including advertising partnerships, creator economy programs, and premium content offerings. Roblox's monetization approach balances user experience with advertiser demands while supporting creator income streams through revenue sharing and advertising integration opportunities.

Content Moderation: Systems and processes designed to monitor, review, and manage user-generated content to ensure compliance with platform policies and safety standards. Effective content moderation requires substantial human resources combined with automated detection systems, presenting ongoing challenges for platforms managing large volumes of diverse content across global markets.

Regulatory Compliance: Adherence to legal requirements and industry standards governing digital content, advertising practices, and user safety protections. Gaming platforms operating internationally must navigate complex regulatory landscapes including privacy laws, content standards, and age verification requirements while maintaining consistent user experiences across different jurisdictions.

Summary

Who: Roblox Corporation partnered with the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), involving nine global rating authorities including ESRB, GRAC, USK, PEGI, and others representing over 4 billion people.

What: Implementation of globally recognized age and content rating systems to replace Roblox's existing content maturity labels, providing region-specific ratings that reflect local cultural norms and safety standards.

When: The partnership was announced September 3, 2025, with implementation details to be communicated as the system becomes operational.

Where: The rating system will operate globally across all regions where Roblox operates, with specific ratings displayed based on user geographic location and local rating authority jurisdiction.

Why: The initiative aims to provide parents with clearer guidance for age-appropriate content decisions while aligning Roblox with established global safety standards, amid growing scrutiny over platform content oversight and child safety protections.