Top UGC creators share the latest trends they're noticing on Roblox.
In 2023, Roblox players bought nearly 1.6 billion UGC fashion items and accessories.
When a brand launches on the Roblox platform today, creating UGC virtual items is usually a part of their strategy.
When it comes to UGC, brands are giving away free Limited UGC items to attract players to their experience, selling branded UGC, or doing both of those things.
What types of UGC should brands make to give away or sell?
Well, it certainly depends on the brand. Are they a luxury fashion brand or a kids IP brand? Are they interested in creating items that are super realistic or more whimsical and playful?
Another consideration that I believe is important to make is around understanding current trends.
In order to better understand trends happening in the Roblox UGC marketplace, I reached out two UGC creators, Junozy (who I've profiled previously) and BeastInWhite, for their opinions.
What UGC is Trending Now?
Stephen: What's the biggest Roblox UGC trend you're noticing right now? Why do you think this trend is happening?
BeastInWhite: The trends seem to change with the wind, but generally what seems to do well is anything mirroring real life. Stanley cups, FNAF-inspired items after the movie dropped, and of course upcoming holidays.
These are all in the public eye, generally either dunked or boosted on TikTok, and very relevant to right here, right now.
Stanley cup, which sold out within minutes.
Junozy: Although trends are ever-changing, one trend that is becoming popular right now is custom faces. It could be from nostalgia / players remembering "classic Roblox" or from the lack of Roblox-created faces which drives sales of these items, but players on Roblox seem to love the different user-generated faces, making many of them popular.
These items allow players to customize their facial expressions. I'm sure there are lots of other trends, but this is one in particular that I noticed was popular recently.
Stephen's note: What's interesting about these faces is that they are very inexpensive, each costing only 15 Robux, which is the equivalent of $0.19 USD. For those Roblox players who are on a budget but who still want to make their avatars look good, these faces provide a very affordable way to upgrade their styles and still get noticed by other players.
Upcoming UGC Trends in 2024
Stephen: What do you think will be a UGC trend or type of item that will gain popularity this year?
BeastInWhite: It's hard to say! We don't know what's in store for 2024, but hairs are classically, and will always be, very popular items. From personal experience, my layered clothing has been seeing a bit of a revival as well, possibly from the bundles being released in 2023.
Junozy: It's really hard to predict what will take off in the next year- basically impossible.
But, with the Roblox catalog becoming more saturated with the influx of UGC creators, I think UGC that uses Roblox's new and evolving technology in a clever way will have a good shot at becoming popular in the community.
Layered clothing and dynamic bodies allow for creators on Roblox to create UGC that changes with body movement or alters the structure of the character. This allows for really creative and clever designs that players love for their uniqueness (and often comedic factor!).
Examples of this would be weird-shaped heads or full-body outfits. Are they realistic? No... but that's the fun of it.
I definitely think that there is still lots more that can be done with layered clothing and dynamic bodies that could allow for some popular hits this year, but only time will tell.
I am also looking forward to more UGC technology from Roblox- especially access to particles & trails, PBR, emotes, transparency, and more.
Stephen Dypiangco is the CEO of Metaverse Marcom, a strategy and consulting firm helping entertainment and sports brands enter Roblox.