Roblox is updating its marketplace to enable creators to grow their business on the UGC platform.Upcoming changes will allow creators to sell avatar bundles–consisting of bodies, clothing, and accessories—in both Marketplace and within experiences themselves. Roblox said the tweak represents a "big step forward for creators" and will debut in the "coming months."Currently, it's only possible to publish and sell individual items in Marketplace and experiences, but Roblox claims the addition of bundles will make buying and selling a more "convenient" experience."Selling avatars and items as a bundle is much more convenient for people, as they'll be able to shop for full looks all at once rather than piecemeal. We recently launched a new way to search for avatar bundles and have already seen a positive uptick in people shopping for full looks, rather than individual accessories," added the company."For creators and brands alike, that means new ways to showcase their full creative vision, build connections with their audience, and grow their earnings."
The Roblox Marketplace continues to expand
This is the latest in a series of Marketplace alterations Roblox has rolled out in 2024. In April, the platform opened up Marketplace creation to more users to create a more "personal, dynamic, and accessible" storefront.Since then, the Roblox creator community has crafted 22 percent more 3D avatar items and more than 4,800 new creators have joined the fold. Those newcomers accounted for 35 percent of total creator earnings in June 2024.In April, Roblox also introduced new "economic levers" in the form of dynamic price floors and publishing advances. It says those functions have made a positive impact, with the number of creators earnings 50,000 Robux per month increasing by 85 percent year-over-year in June 2024."Total monthly creator earnings have increased 61 percent year over year. In the past year alone, more than 7,500 of the 5.5 million U.S. creators monetizing on Roblox earned more than $650," added the company."And it's not only new creators who are benefitting: Our existing creator community, the original members of our UGC Program, have seen their total earnings growth accelerate from 30 percent year over year in March to 50 percent in June."That sense of positivity hasn't quite washed over every aspect of the platform. Earlier this year, the Turkish government banned Roblox and called into question its approach to safeguarding children. Roblox's own employees echoed those concerns in July, with Bloomberg reporting that multiple staffers are worried the company isn't doing enough to combat predatory behavior—often targeted at minors.The platform has also been criticized for employing a business model that some claim exploits and under-compensates young developers. Studio head Stefano Corazza recently pushed back on those claims, and said Roblox actually empowers creators to become "professionals."