Roblox introduces new tools to support 2D game development

Roblox has announced an early access program for ‘AnimatedImage’, a new feature set designed to facilitate 2D game development within Roblox Studio. The update aims to transform the platform into a destination for high-quality 2D titles, targeting genres such as side-scrollers, top-down RPGs, farming simulations, and fighting games.

A key component of this initiative is the integration with Aseprite, a popular pixel art tool. Developers participating in the program can directly import .ase files into Roblox Studio with a single click, preserving animation track names and frame durations for use as flipbook animations.

To manage these assets, Roblox is introducing the ‘AnimationPlayer API’, which allows for the control of playback, stopping, track switching, speed, and looping. Additionally, the ‘AnimatedImageService’ will enable the creation of new animation tracks from existing image frames. Currently, these features are limited to use within Roblox Studio and cannot yet be used in publicly released games.