Rumors are swirling online that the popular online gaming platform Roblox is shutting down in September.
It comes days after Louisiana announced it was suing Roblox. Among the allegations is that Roblox has failed to protect child users from predators, according to a news release from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.
Roblox said it does not comment on pending litigation in a response to the lawsuit on its website, but did want to address “erroneous claims and misconceptions about our platform, our commitment to safety, and our overall safety track record.”
“Any assertion that Roblox would intentionally put our users at risk of exploitation is simply untrue,” the statement read. “No system is perfect, and bad actors adapt to evade detection, including efforts to take users to other platforms, where safety standards and moderation practices may differ. We continuously work to block those efforts and to enhance our moderation approaches to promote a safe and enjoyable environment for all users.”
Why are people thinking that Roblox is shutting down?
One source behind these rumors could be due to a recent post from an account on X with the name Roblox Notifier, as reported by The Economic Times and ScreenRant. On Aug. 18, the account posted an image of what it described as an official announcement from the Roblox team.
“After careful consideration, we have decided to permanently shut down our platform,” text from the image said. “This decision comes as a direct response to overwhelming popular demand, alongside growing concerns about safety and security… Effective September 1st, the platform will no longer be available.”
However, the account describes itself as “Parady Roblox news” and that “most posts are just goofs.” Meanwhile, there are numerous posts on TikTok published recently with thousands of likes that have captions or titles about Roblox shutting down.
ScreenRant reported that rumors about Roblox’s closure “are circulated constantly.”
Roblox, at least as of Aug. 21, has made no public announcements on its social media accounts or on its website that the platform would be shut down come September.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Is Roblox shutting down? Why you may be hearing this on X, TikTok
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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