On account of worldwide sanctions in opposition to Russia, the ruble has tumbled in worth—up to now, in actual fact, it’s now value lower than a Robux. That’s actually unhealthy information for the ruble, as a result of the Robux is a online game foreign money that’s principally significant solely to youngsters.

Roblox, often known as “that sport your youngsters play that appears like Minecraft however isn’t,” has been round for over a decade. However with an explosion of at-home gamers throughout the pandemic, it’s gone from fad to phenomenon, now boasting greater than 100 million energetic gamers. It’s so in style that its digital foreign money worth, which may in actual fact be transformed again into US {dollars}, is now value roughly $.0125, which is greater than the Russian Federation’s ruble.

On the time of writing, a nickel will snag you not one however 5 Robux. That fee is taken from the bottom quantity of Robux one should buy straight from the developer: $4.99 for 400 Robux (the worth of particular person Robux diminishes when you purchase in bulk or get it from sketchy third-party gold farmers). Since Robux will be earned in-game and redeemed for money, that determine isn’t simply blowing smoke. No less than just a few gamers and builders earn the equal of a full-time earnings by way of the managed Roblox sport publishing system.

After Russia started its invasion of Ukraine final week, the total entrance of worldwide sanctions got here into impact this weekend, slamming Russia’s financial system. As Russian banks have been lower off from worldwide commerce, Russia’s already-struggling markets are teetering on the point of collapse. The Russian ruble has misplaced roughly 30 p.c of its worth in the previous couple of days relative to the greenback. It traded at $.013 one week in the past and is presently going for $.010, or one ruble to the penny.

As Vice seen, that technically means Robux are extra invaluable than rubles in the intervening time. Whereas foreign money worth all the time has a sure arbitrary nature, and Russian rubles are hardly the one foreign money to be value a small fraction of the greenback—one Colombian peso is value $.00026 USD in the present day, for instance—it’s a startling illustration of how laborious worldwide sanctions are rocking the Russian financial system.

Earlier than you determine to transform your financial savings to Robux, do some investigation. The sport’s digital market is problematic to say the least, and its developer Roblox Company has been accused of successfully creating a web based playing system for kids. When “cashing out” Robux to {dollars}, the corporate takes a hefty 30 p.c “market payment” lower. The various points with the real-money equal Roblox market, and its impact on hundreds of thousands of underage gamers, was documented by YouTube channel Folks Make Video games in a startling investigation final August.

When you account for that 30 p.c cash-out payment, Robux and rubles are successfully value the identical on worldwide markets as of proper now. If Russia continues to press its invasion of Ukraine, and the worldwide group continues to punish and isolate it with sanctions, a foreign money for a child’s online game would possibly quickly be a way more sound funding.