An ‘Anti-Communist’ Movement Emerges in Roblox Computer Game Popular Among American Tweens

Some teen and tween players of the popular online computer game Roblox are protesting against an update rolled out in one of the game’s modes, Bloxburg, that user say smacks of “communism.” Those complaining are calling themselves “anti-communists.”In Bloxburg, players role play a life simulator that lets players do one of 12 jobs such as deliver pizza, cut wood, or cash out customers at an in-game grocery store.Historically, the different in-game jobs have had different rates of pay that increase with the player’s level, with pizza delivery players being at the top of the income scale and other jobs being paid less — at least until the most recent update, according to a report from 404 Media.Since the update, all jobs are paid the same. A highest-level delivery driver makes the same amount as a highest-level cashier. While players still get paid different amounts based on the amount of job experience their character has, some players have accused Roblox’s developers of implementing “communism” in Bloxburg by leveling out all the character’s pay.A new “anti-communism” movement has evolved in Bloxburg in response. Players are holding in-game protests where they recite speeches from series like “The Hunger Games” and slogans like “no taxation without representation.”Roblox, first released in the mid-2000s, has since become one of the most popular online computer games among younger users. The game has more than 300 million monthly users, and the vast majority of them are under the age of 16. Half of all American children have said they play the game regularly.In a lengthy tweet on the subject of the new update, the developer of the game mode explained that the update was made to peg income to “your overall efficiency and your job experience.”“The update is also focused on increasing pay for less experienced players which make up the majority of our playerbase,” the developer wrote. “The rebalancing has lowered the time requirements it takes to achieve the higher level jobs and payments, especially in the pizza delivery track.”In one Reddit thread on the subject, a player attempted to convince the protestors that the most effective protest would be to stop playing the game entirely. “That’s like saying you’re boycotting a movie theatre then going inside and buying a ticket,” one redditor wrote in response. “You can’t boycott the game and play it at the same time.”Players have also started complaining about other mechanical updates to the game mode, like one requiring the player to keep themselves in good health, saying that it smacks of a nanny state edict.In one viral TikTok video, a mom of one of the Bloxburg players recounts their child complaining about newly introduced mechanics that require players to feed themselves with the income they make from their in-game jobs, as well. “Why are they making it real life? The whole point of this game is to escape real life,” the mom recounts her child saying.

An ‘Anti-Communist’ Movement Emerges in Roblox Computer Game Popular Among American Tweens

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