Roblox thinks subscriptions could help devs foster "recurring economic relationships"

Roblox developers will eventually be able to create subscriptions within their experiences to "establish a recurring economic relationship" with their users.

That's according to Roblox Corp, which broke the news in a lengthy blog post that details how it intends to expand and support the Roblox economy and the creators that fuel it.

Roblox developers can currently monetize their content in a variety of ways, including in-experience purchases, engagement-based payouts, and by creating and selling virtual items.

Unlike those options, Roblox Corp says subscriptions will help creators "potentially increase the predictability of their earnings" while ensuring users have access to a "steady flow of content that's relevant to them."

The company's vision for Roblox is one where "anyone can be a buyer, creator, seller, curator, or IP owner."

To help turn that ideal into a reality, Roblox Corp also intends to let its creator community build and sell a wider variety of cosmetic items, including bodies and heads. The ability to create and publish to the Roblox Marketplace will also be opened up to all verified users who are in "good standing." As is currently the case, unverified creators will still be able sell items in experiences.

Roblox aiming to create powerful tools for a dynamic economy

Roblox Corp's latest update is seemingly intent on making one thing clear: there's gold in them there hills.

The company explained the platform currently boasts 66 million daily visitors, and pointed out that creators earned a combined $623 million in 2022 alone–with another $182 million being pulled in during the first quarter of this year.

"There were more than 3.2 billion virtual transactions in 2022, and another 900 million during the first quarter of 2023. Last year, the ten highest-earning creators earned an average of $23 million each, and nearly every creator in our top 500 earned at least $140,000," reads the blog post.

The result of tapping into that economy has allowed some Roblox developers to establish full-fledged studios. Back in 2021, for instance, a group of Roblox developers opened a new studio called Uplift Games after finding success with their Roblox title, Adopt Me.

At the time, Adopt Me boasted 60 million monthly active players and 22 billion visits, allowing the team to open Uplift with a view to creating more "top metaverse experiences."