- Aim
- Deliver a character experience to younger audiences worldwide via an official world, and grow brand awareness.
- Action
- "My Hello Kitty Cafe" (Apr 2022) — a tycoon where you run and grow a cafe. Later added Cinnamoroll's "Cloud Cafe".
- Result
- Over 170 million visits — one of the largest official brand worlds out of Japan.
ROBLOX CONTRACT DEVELOPMENT — TOKYO, JAPAN
Roblox contract development
A Tokyo-based Roblox game development studio. Planning, Luau development, LiveOps, and monetization design — taken on one-stop and built to keep growing after launch. A Japan (Tokyo) × Pakistan (Peshawar) team that pairs quality with cost efficiency. From "what is Roblox?" to users, the economy, how companies use it, Japan case studies, and choosing a studio — all in one place.
Contract dev LiveOps Monetization Ads / Immersive Ads Tokyo
01 What is Roblox?
Roblox is a platform where users build and publish games and 3D experiences for people around the world to play. It isn\'t a single game — think of it as a "place" where countless games (which Roblox calls "experiences") gather. If YouTube is the platform for video, Roblox is the platform for playable 3D experiences.
Development happens with Roblox Studio (a free build tool) and a scripting language called Luau. What you build can be published worldwide as-is and monetized via item sales and purchases. In other words, a global distribution network and payments come built in — no need to stand up your own servers or store.
The scale is hard to ignore. As of Q1 2026, daily active users (DAU) is around 132 million, with 3.1 billion hours engaged in the quarter. It\'s already a massive media and economic sphere.
02 Know the Roblox audience
"Who plays, how many, and at what age?" Targeting starts here.
132M
Daily active users (Q1 2026, +35% YoY)
3.1B hrs
Hours engaged in the quarter (+43%)
~2M
Japan DAU (2–3% of global; ~4× in 3 years)
"Roblox = little kids" is outdated by the numbers. Among age-verified users (Q1 2026), the age mix is under-13 36% / 13–17 38% / 18+ 26% — the largest group is teens, and over a quarter are adults. In the US especially, 18+ DAU and play time grew +40% YoY (18–34 over +50%) — the fastest-growing and highest-spending segment (18+ monetize 50%+ higher than under-18). Roblox itself calls adults its "largest growth opportunity".
Japan\'s characteristics can change your plan. Japan DAU is mid-sized at ~2 million, but the age skews a bit older (a thicker adult share) and ARPDAU is 1.5–2× the global average — a market that spends. Anime RPGs, co-op horror, and fashion/roleplay are stronger than the global average; FPS is weaker. It mirrors Japan\'s mobile-game market.
Sources: Who actually plays Roblox in 2026 (age breakdown) / Japan Roblox player trends, Q1 2026
03 The Roblox economy — how big is it?
Inside Roblox is its own economy where creators earn and users spend. The mechanics and scale, in numbers.
$1.7B
Quarterly bookings (Q1 2026, +43%)
$1.5B
FY2025 paid to creators (DevEx, +63%)
$1.3M
Avg. annual earnings, top 1,000 creators (+50%)
Users buy items and passes with a virtual currency called Robux, and creators cash out via DevEx (Developer Exchange). In FY2025, Roblox paid creators $1.5B (+63% YoY) — faster than its own revenue growth (+36%). The company calls raising the DevEx rate "one of our highest-return investments" and has raised it twice in a year (+8.5% for all creators; US age-verified 18+ spend from 26.6% to 37.8%).
Who spends? Adults are key. In the US, 18+ monetize 50%+ higher than under-18 — which is why Roblox is raising payout rates for creators who build for adults. Japan, too, has ARPDAU 1.5–2× the global average: "mid-sized in headcount, heavy in spend." Crafting for core fans and designing premium packs beats mass distribution.
Sources: How much Roblox pays creators (FY2025) / see the glossary for terms
04 How companies use Roblox
It\'s not only "build a game." There are three ways in, depending on your goal.
01
Build your own game / experience
A playable experience built around your IP or brand world. The deepest form of engagement — you accumulate visits and replay as an asset. Designed for LiveOps from day one so it keeps growing.
02
Run ads only (no game build)
With Google Ad Manager × Roblox Immersive Ads, your existing video creative is converted into 3D experience ads — no dedicated game required. Plus the Homepage Feature slot and programmatic buying via Amazon DSP and others.
03
IP & brand collaborations
Bring popular IP and characters to Roblox as items, spaces, and events. Combine avatar-item sales and seasonal campaigns to build an ongoing touchpoint with younger audiences.
On advertising: Google × Roblox Immersive Ads go mainstream
05 Roblox in Japan — what they aimed for, and did
Not "they made this game" — the aim (goal), the action, and the result. Figures are public.
- Aim
- Position Roblox as "a place for future communication" and create commerce/experiences unique to the metaverse.
- Action
- Built a series starting from the Japanese-horror escape game "PetaPeta-sama"; the sequel is co-developed with Kayac (PETAPETA3, spring 2026).
- Result
- ~49.8M visits in about 4 months → reached ~100M (Mar 2025). PETAPETA series: 500M+ total accesses.
- Aim
- Extend toy IP digitally, with creator co-creation and buzz from a virtual world championship.
- Action
- Beyblade X official world "BEYBLADE PARK / CITY" (since Oct 2023). Ran a creator contest for UGC; held the first virtual world championship in May 2026.
- Result
- "BEYBLADE CITY" ~14.7M visits. Strong room to expand to other IP (Tomica, Licca-chan, etc.).
- Aim
- Promote inbound tourism and exchange, domestically and abroad, with metaverse + AR.
- Action
- "HELLO! TOKYO FRIENDS" (Feb 2024) — recreated landmarks across Tokyo's 23 wards, with a treasure hunt, sushi quiz, flying-car ride, and VTuber-collab items, plus a companion AR app.
- Result
- About 6.9 million visitors.
- Aim
- Create a touchpoint between younger audiences and products that are hard to see in daily life (mowers, generators), via co-creation.
- Action
- "Rewired" handed out free 3D modules of products for users to remix and build with (also used as STEAM material); "Tiny Hero" delivered a sandbox world.
- Result
- "Tiny Hero": ~510k plays from 155 countries, 14.2 min average play time, 90%+ positive rating in the first week.
- Aim
- Not a short-term sales bump — mid/long-term brand recall and a touchpoint with younger audiences.
- Action
- Released "Jagarico Hide-and-Seek: Find the Giraffes!" (May 2025) featuring Jagarico characters, with avatar items.
- Result
- The first Asian snack maker to ship a Roblox game.
More examples (public visit counts)
ONE PIECE GRAND ARENA
Bandai Namco × Shueisha
~9.6M visits
Doraemon: Nobita's Go-Go Ride!
Fujiko Pro × GeekOut × enish
~4.3M visits
Roblox Takeshi's Castle
TBS
~2.8M visits
Attack on Titan: Titan Chase
Kodansha × moze × ambr
Global launch, 2026
Mitsuya Cider Factory Tycoon
Asahi Soft Drinks × WAKA
Learning-style brand experience
The numbers back it up. Per Nikkei (as of Oct 2025), the number of Roblox creators in Japan grew ~5× in two years, and users more than 2×. It\'s still an expansion phase — early-mover advantage is available. But "pasting a PR video," "a 3D version of your brand site," or "handing out novelty items" won\'t hold players. Planning must start from whether it works as play.
06 What our contract development covers
Planning, development, operations, monetization — and advertising. Roblox projects, one stop.
01
Concept & planning
Target, the core of the experience, and the revenue model — designed from the start to keep growing after launch.
02
Roblox development (Luau)
Luau scripting, 3D, and UI — Roblox experiences built from scratch. New titles, or features and reworks on existing ones.
03
LiveOps & operations
Monthly/weekly updates, hotfixes, and event ops. We track retention and session length and keep improving.
04
Monetization design
Natural purchase flows that don't break the experience. Game Pass, developer products, and pass pricing — optimized with data.
05
UGC, avatars & 3D
Avatar items, 3D models, and UGC. Designed around the latest specs to avoid costly rework.
06
Advertising / Immersive Ads support
For "ads only, no game" needs, we also support Immersive Ads creative design and ad delivery.
07 Outsourcing Roblox? How to choose a studio
"Roblox dev shops" are multiplying, but capability varies. Six things to check before you commit.
Roblox-specific track record
Not "metaverse in general" — actual build/operate experience on Roblox. Understanding platform-specific mechanics (monetization, age gating, UGC) is the dividing line.
In-house Luau, 3D & UI
Many shops re-outsource the work they take on. Whether scripting, 3D, and UI run in-house decides quality, speed, and communication cost.
Operations after launch
On Roblox the real game starts at launch. Check they can stay on for LiveOps, events, and improvement.
Planning that "works as play"
Pasting a PR video or a 3D version of your brand site won't hold players. Can they make it work as entertainment, and do they understand your brand?
Speaks in numbers
Not PR-equivalent value — can they set goals and report results in entertainment metrics (DAU, retention, play time, visits)?
NDA, contracts & language
Confidentiality, contracts, and communication from requirements to operations — in Japanese and English.
08 Why ZehnStudio26
Planning to operations, one team
Planning, development, and LiveOps stay with the same team. We own the outcome through post-launch improvement.
Japan × Pakistan, ~40% cost
A two-base team across Tokyo (Japan) and Peshawar (Pakistan). Japanese-quality direction with cost-efficient production.
Data-driven growth
Decisions on DAU/MAU, retention, and LTV. We design growth with numbers, not gut feel.
AI-accelerated production
AI woven into the pipeline for speed and volume. We also run our own AI tool, ZehnAI.
09 ZehnStudio26 by the numbers
12
Team (Tokyo + Peshawar)
140
Countries played in (best month, last 4 titles)
40%
Typical development cost savings
NDA
Many contract titles (confidential)
More about ZehnStudio26
10 News & updates
- 2026.06 Our CEO, Ono, was selected as a finalist for the "WOMAN AI AWARD 2026".
- 2026.04 Our title "Bloom Prison" was accepted into Roblox's official Jump Start Program.
- 2025.10 Contributed a Roblox development column to "AICU MAGAZINE Vol.10".
- 2025.08 Opened a physical office in Peshawar, Pakistan.
11 How it works
- 1
Discovery
We map your goal, audience, budget, and timeline — starting from whether Roblox is even the right fit.
- 2
Plan & quote
We design the core experience and revenue model, then propose scope, timeline, and cost. Quotes are free.
- 3
Development
Scripting, 3D, and UI, with shared progress and playtests to keep quality high.
- 4
Launch
Store optimization (icon, thumbnails, description) included. We watch the launch by the numbers.
- 5
LiveOps
Launch is the start. We grow retention with updates and events.
12 Cost & timeline
We scope to fit. Quotes are free.
Small
approx. 1 month+
Mini-games and small experiences, or features and reworks on an existing title. For testing small.
Standard
approx. 2–3 months
An original new title — planning, development, and store launch. Our most common engagement.
Growth / LiveOps
ongoing
LiveOps and improvement for a live title. A monthly retainer to keep it growing.
13 FAQ
What is Roblox?
Roblox is a platform where users build and publish games and 3D experiences for people worldwide to play. It isn't a single game but "a place where countless games gather", and development happens in Roblox Studio with a scripting language called Luau. As of Q1 2026 it has around 132 million daily active users.
Isn't Roblox just for kids?
"For kids" is now outdated. Among age-verified users (Q1 2026): under-13 36%, 13–17 38%, 18+ 26% — teens are the largest group and over a quarter are adults. In the US in particular, 18+ is the fastest-growing and highest-spending segment.
Can we just run ads without building a game?
Yes. With Google Ad Manager × Roblox Immersive Ads, your existing video creative can be converted into 3D experience ads — no dedicated game required. The Homepage Feature slot and programmatic buying (e.g. Amazon DSP) are also open. We support the creative design and delivery.
In-house or outsource?
If you have Roblox dev know-how and operations resources in-house, that's an option — but Roblox changes fast and needs a wide skill set (planning, Luau, 3D, LiveOps). Many companies outsource the launch to a studio with Roblox experience, then bring parts in-house after building know-how.
What does your Roblox contract development cover?
Everything end to end: concept and planning, Luau development, 3D and UI, store launch, and post-launch LiveOps. We handle new titles as well as features and reworks on existing ones.
How long does development take?
It depends on scope. Mini-games and small experiences take around a month; an original new title takes about 2–3 months. We confirm scope and timeline in the quote after a discovery call.
What about cost?
It depends on scope (planning only / through development / with operations) and size. Quotes are free, and we can propose a scope tailored to your budget — just reach out.
Can we see your work?
Most of our contract titles are under NDA, so we can't publish the work itself. We can share performance numbers (total visits, peak MAU, countries played) and our own titles.
Do you work with clients outside Tokyo?
We're based in Tokyo, Japan, but work mostly online, so we work with clients nationwide and overseas. Full support in Japanese and English.