In March of this year, Roblox's ranking on the US iOS Top Grossing chart suddenly plummeted significantly. As of September 3rd, this product—boasting over 100 million monthly active users (MAU) and blending a creation platform with virtual social community features—has fallen to #145 on the US iOS Game Top Grossing chart, #21 in the Action game category, and #16 in the Adventure game category.

A further analysis of Roblox's grossing ranking changes this year clearly shows a cliff-like drop curve. On February 9th, the game's daily revenue remained around $1.2 million, but upon entering March, daily revenue quickly dropped to $50,000. By August 30th, revenue had fallen further to $23,000, a plunge of nearly 98% from the peak.

Source: DianDian Data

So, has Roblox truly "gone cold"? Clearly not. As a publicly listed company that successfully went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, Roblox has maintained stable financial performance over the past three quarters:

• Revenue continued to grow, reaching $1.081 billion in Q2 2025, breaking the $1 billion mark.

• Bookings also hit a new high, reaching $1.438 billion in Q2.

• However, net losses widened, primarily attributed to Roblox's high revenue share model to attract creators and maintain content diversity, coupled with large-scale marketing expenses.

Judging from this data, Roblox's financial condition remains stable and shows growth potential.

Why is this phenomenon occurring?

The Reason Behind Bookings Growth and the Sharp Drop in US iOS Revenue

Before analyzing why US iOS revenue dropped sharply, we need to understand "Bookings" as mentioned in the financial reports.

Bookings refer to the total amount players actually spend on purchasing Robux (virtual currency) in a given quarter or year, including subscriptions, one-time top-ups, and using Robux to purchase virtual items, avatar accessories, and experience (game) passes.

Roblox's financial reports indicate that the vast majority of Bookings and revenue come from the sale of Robux.

It is important to note that because purchased Robux are not immediately recognized as revenue (they are recognized only as players spend them), Bookings are considered a core indicator of Robux sales. In fact, the revenue disclosed by Roblox is the portion recognized deferrally from Bookings.

Therefore, growth in Bookings means players are putting more Robux into the ecosystem. The sharp drop in US iOS revenue likely does not mean players have stopped spending. Instead, it is more likely that players are topping up through other payment channels (such as the web version, PC client, or by purchasing Robux via gift cards), bypassing Apple's commission.

Roblox's New Policy: Abandoning Top Grossing Charts and Successfully Transforming Payment Strategy

In late 2024, Roblox announced a policy adjustment that drew widespread industry attention: users purchasing in-game currency through the official website, gift cards, or the PC/web version could receive up to 25% extra Robux as a bonus. This move was widely interpreted as a key strategy by Roblox to counter the 30% commission charged by Apple and Google app stores, providing tangible benefits to both players and creators.

Typically, iOS users are accustomed to paying within the Apple ecosystem. What factors prompted these users to abandon the official payment channel? Besides the "better value" mentioned earlier, the design of Roblox's web top-up, PC client, and gift card guidance also plays a key role.

On the "Robux" page of the Roblox official website, the first thing users see is a prominent line: "Get more Robux on PC, Web, and Gift Cards. Get up to 25% more."

Following this, the pricing table clearly contrasts the differences between "Mobile & Console" and "PC, Web, & Gift Cards" for each top-up tier, making it immediately clear to users and further stimulating their desire to pay, alongside the feeling that topping up on mobile is somewhat "a worse deal."

For example, a user buying a $9.99 gift card, which originally provided 800 Robux, now gets an additional 200 Robux, totaling 1000 Robux. A $10 gift card purchase yields 1000 Robux, 200 more than before. It's worth noting that the bonus ratio is not fixed; smaller top-ups (e.g., under $10) offer a higher incentive, while larger top-ups have a relatively lower bonus ratio. For instance, a $200 top-up only gets an extra 1500 Robux (6.7%). This design not only reduces the cost for users making small top-ups but also effectively mitigates excessive impact on platform revenue from large expenditures.

Furthermore, the Roblox Premium subscription membership offers even greater benefits. Players paying a monthly fee of $4.99 (example currency converted from NT$330 approx.) receive a monthly Robux stipend (e.g., 1000 Robux for the Premium 1000 tier), and by redeeming through PC, web, or gift cards, can receive up to an additional 35% bonus Robux, along with access to an exclusive rewards marketplace.

Overall, by implementing this legal and effective channel optimization method, Roblox not only retains user spending intent but also successfully reduces platform commission costs. The platform has clearly stated that this policy is not a short-term promotion but a permanent adjustment applicable to users worldwide and to previously purchased gift cards. Users can top up directly through the official website or use gift cards purchased from third-party platforms to redeem Robux and complete the payment process. The platform also emphasizes that the revenue share percentage for developers remains unchanged, but because users are effectively getting more Robux for their money, the actual earnings for creators will also increase proportionally.

The background of this policy is closely related to the long-standing controversy over the "channel tax" in the gaming industry. Apple and Google charge a 30% commission on in-app purchases, and Roblox, as a platform heavily reliant on mobile traffic (2023 data showed 80% of users played via mobile phones), paid approximately $3 billion in annual commission fees. By guiding users towards official website and gift card payments, Roblox can not only avoid these commissions but also convert the saved costs into user benefits and creator incentives. This move received public support from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who called it "an important step in the fight against the Apple tax."

How Third-Party Payments Can Boost In-Game Purchase Growth

From the Roblox case, we can see that flexible pricing and promotion models can significantly improve user conversion rates. Whether a pack sells as well on PC/web as it does on mobile depends on whether players perceive it as a good deal.

EnJoyPay once worked with a developer responsible for operating in the Korean market. They merely displayed the payment method or third-party payment company brand but failed to effectively add a clear Call to Action (CTA). This led to users not understanding that using this payment method could enjoy discounts like满减 (spend-based discounts) or deductions. Therefore, adding clear CTAs within the payment channel is very important.

Furthermore, EnJoyPay recommends using local currency pricing on third-party payment pages to avoid price perception differences. For example, US players are more likely to feel the urge to buy when they see a price of $0.99 rather than a RMB price. Simultaneously, combining activities like local holidays, wallet subsidies, and VIP tiering can further enhance user engagement and top-up amounts.

Selling goods directly to players via PC/web has the core value of saving the 30% platform tax and increasing the game company's profit, which is an industry consensus. At the same time, the following values are also important:

(1) Private Traffic Pool Building & Creating a Closed Loop


Collecting payments directly through the official website not only avoids high app store commissions but also helps the platform build a pool of private user traffic during the payment process. The official website payment flow allows the platform to precisely track user behavior and consumption data, enabling subsequent targeted marketing (like VIP reminders, exclusive pack pushes) to improve user stickiness and repurchase rates. Through this closed loop, the platform can serve users accurately and enhance long-term user value. In this process, EnJoyPay also provides payment channel support to help game developers better manage and utilize private traffic on their official websites, improving user retention and repurchase rates.

(2) Enhancing Repurchase and Operational Capabilities


On the official website, the platform can more flexibly combine various marketing activities to stimulate user repurchase. For example, through spend-based discounts, points systems, lucky spins, etc., the website can design rich promotional campaigns, often unrestricted by app store payment rules. The platform can launch limited-time packs, exclusive discounts, and other activities to encourage users to purchase Robux directly on the official website, thereby boosting sales and user engagement. In this regard, EnJoyPay possesses a rich set of operational solutions that can effectively support game developers in running flexible marketing activities through various payment methods and optimizing the user payment process to improve conversion rates.

(3) Increasing Third-Party Payment Share & Improving Conversion Rates


Using third-party payment channels like EnJoyPay allows the platform to customize the checkout page and offer more payment methods. This not only improves payment convenience for users but also further enhances payment conversion rates. Users can choose the payment method most suitable for their habits, and this flexibility typically leads to higher conversion rates and lower payment abandonment rates. Currently, EnJoyPay offers over 500 global payment solutions, covering more than 200 major countries and regions, and supports over 20 local languages, helping game developers integrate more payment channels worldwide and further improve cross-border payment conversion rates.

(4) Brand Trust & International Presentation


Through the official website and third-party payment channels, the platform can better showcase its brand image and enhance trust among overseas users. During international expansion, the platform can support multiple languages, currencies, and regional switches, which not only helps improve the experience for global users but also strengthens the brand's international influence. Adding localized elements to the payment interface allows the platform to better meet the needs of users in various countries, enhancing local brand recognition. In this process, EnJoyPay can help game developers expand regional influence and maximize the global value of their game products.

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