Roblox targets Q3 2026 DAU rebound as new chat features roll out

Roblox Corp. said it expects daily active user growth to resume in Q3 2026, driven by seasonal demand and new chat features designed to counter safety-related headwinds that have weighed on sign-ups.

"Roblox has introduced more than 40 features in the last year to protect younger users, including requiring users to be at least 13 years old to send direct messages," the company said in a press release, adding that it uses artificial intelligence to automatically detect language in chats that could be deemed illicit or criminal.

The guidance comes as Roblox faces mounting legal scrutiny over child safety on its platform. A lawsuit filed in Oregon alleges a man used Roblox's in-game chat to groom an 8-year-old girl over several years, claiming the company prioritizes user growth over child protection. Attorneys general in Louisiana and Kentucky have filed similar suits, accusing Roblox of prioritizing profit over safety despite marketing to children. The company has said its AI-based moderation systems and age-gating measures represent a meaningful step toward addressing those concerns.

For Roblox, the stakes are high. The platform's valuation depends on sustained user growth — DAU is the primary metric investors track. If the Q3 rebound materializes, it could restore confidence in a stock that has faced pressure from both safety-related regulatory risk and slowing sign-up momentum. Roblox trades at roughly 5 times forward sales, a discount to other high-growth software platforms, reflecting the market's uncertainty about whether the company can balance expansion with the safety upgrades regulators and parents are demanding. The new chat features and seasonal back-to-school boost will be the first real test of whether that balance is achievable.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.