Virtual world fans are understandably happy as Roblox beats Minecraft, growing past 100 million monthly active users. It’s an impressive milestone for an MMO that was released in 2006 and barely got a share of the attention that Mojang’s game did. Earlier this year, Microsoft reported that Minecraft has a player base of 91 million monthly active players.
Roblox is a digital playground similar in many ways to Minecraft, although it is a free-to-play game accessible to everyone. Due to the different business models, the comparison needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s still remarkable nonetheless, especially considering that the growth seems organic and sustainable. To celebrate this achievement, Roblox is releasing a free in-game item for a limited time, the gold bar shoulder accessory Goldrow that you can grab before August 16.
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Roblox is known for its widespread global community, with devoted players and creators coming from over 200 countries. Creators have contributed with more than 50 million custom experiences that include in-depth games, worlds and events, and even stories that you can play. Roblox also seems particularly attractive to female players, with 40 percent of the player base being female.
Founder and CEO David Baszucki said in a statement that Roblox’s beginnings were humble, with just 100 players and a handful of dedicated creators pushing forward, unleashing their creativity in a way that it captured the imagination of other players. The YouTube rise during the following years helped the growth of Roblox, with many players starting channels exclusively dedicated to Roblox and fostering creativity and new communities around the game.
The fifth annual Roblox Developers Conference is coming in a week, with sneak peeks on the features and innovations coming to the game.
