Roblox’s global popularity has translated to users spending enormously on the platform, with amounts channeled to various segments. App stores and payment processor fees are among the segments that are allocated a big chunk of money spent on the platform in return, hindering funding for other areas, such as developer fees.
In this line, data acquired by Finbold indicates that as of March 2023, the global estimated utilization of each dollar spent on Roblox at 24.5% was channeled towards developer exchange responsible for building an engaging experience on the ecosystem. The second share, at 23.3%, represents allocation catering for the App store and payment processing fees related to all purchases of Robux, an in-game currency, while platform hosting and support rank third at 22.4%.
Other areas receiving a significant share of the allocation include platform investment, which ranks fourth at 15.7%, while Roblox accounts for 9%. Elsewhere, developer engagement-based payouts have the least share at 5.1%.
Concerns over high app store fees
The research highlighted some of the implications of Roblox’s high fee payment to app stores and in payment processing. According to the research report:
“Despite the high share in app store fees, Roblox has been able to maintain its position as one of the most successful gaming platforms in the world. However, the company has also been vocal about its desire to reduce the fees it pays to app stores and payment processors, which would enable it to pass on savings to developers and potentially attract even more creators to its platform.”
With Roblox positioning itself to grow in the coming years, the fees paid to the App store will likely increase as the platform makes further inroads into the gaming scene.