When Zachary started playing Roblox at age 10, one of his favorite games was Work at a Pizza Place, where players get to work in a pizza parlor. Inspired, Zachary started making his own creations. Eventually, he applied for an internship at Roblox. There, his work caught the attention of Dued1, the user who created Work at a Pizza Place. Dued1 hired Zachary as a 3-D artist.
Now 21, Zachary helps create the game’s graphics, the images and designs that make up objects, backgrounds, and maps. “Everything that you see visually, that’s my job,” he says. While Zachary works on how the game looks, Dued1 writes code to bring the game to life (see How to Build a Game).
In many Roblox games, players can buy upgrades, gadgets, and gear for their characters. To do this, players must first exchange real money for in-game currency called “Robux.” For every 100,000 Robux a game earns, its developers are paid $350. In 2020 alone, Roblox game designers earned $250 million from their creations.