Roblox and Discord Criticized for Enabling Predator Communities
Roblox and Discord are facing heavy criticism from users and safety advocates after allegations surfaced showing both platforms have failed to adequately combat predator-run games and servers. Despite clear violations of community guidelines, both companies have been accused of prioritizing profits over the safety of children on their platforms.
Roblox’s Longstanding Problem With “Dating Games”
A Roblox developer known as “the official Teddy” has come under scrutiny for years for creating inappropriate “dating” games that appear to target minors. After being banned in 2022 for such content, Teddy simply created an alternate account and continued publishing the same games. These games, such as Boys and Girls Club Hangout Roleplay, featured explicit suggestive elements like beds, characters in underwear, and animations depicting romantic or sexual gestures.
Over three years, Teddy’s games amassed more than 250 million visits before Roblox finally banned his account and removed his games — though critics argue this action came far too late given the potential harm.
Even more controversially, Roblox allegedly unbanned Teddy earlier this year and invited him to participate in their flagship Hatch event. The event, which featured games chosen by Roblox for millions of players to explore, included Teddy’s creations. This sparked the grassroots #BoycottTheHatch campaign, with major Roblox developers like the creators of Piggy refusing to participate unless Roblox took corrective action.
Roblox eventually rescinded Teddy’s invitation and issued a statement reaffirming its policies against romantic and explicit content. However, Teddy’s account and his group reportedly remain active, suggesting that enforcement has been inconsistent at best.
Discord’s Hidden Condo Communities
Discord, often used as an extension of Roblox’s “condo” communities (slang for explicit or romantic roleplay games), has also drawn criticism. In late 2024, users demonstrated that simply searching “condo” in Discord’s server discovery returned dozens of predator-run servers promoting Roblox adult games.
Following backlash, Discord changed search results so that typing “condo” yielded no results — but slightly altering the spelling (“cond”) still revealed the same servers. Critics argue this shows Discord chose to obscure the problem rather than eliminate it.
Some of these servers remain highly profitable, reportedly bringing in hundreds to thousands of dollars monthly through server boosts and other paid features, further fueling claims that financial incentives are preventing meaningful action.
Companies Accused of Prioritizing Revenue Over Safety
Both Roblox and Discord have policies explicitly prohibiting sexualized content and grooming behavior. Yet, as critics point out, enforcement has lagged — particularly when popular or profitable accounts are involved.
Developers and community members argue that Teddy and others like him continue operating under different accounts or groups, and that the platforms appear reluctant to ban revenue-generating actors outright.
Safety advocates warn parents and older siblings to remain vigilant, as these platforms “have no financial incentive to keep kids safe,” according to one critic.
Conclusion
The controversies highlight a growing concern: platforms like Roblox and Discord are not doing enough to protect their youngest and most vulnerable users. While both companies have acknowledged the issues, their actions so far appear more performative than preventative, raising questions about their true priorities.