How the Holidays Are Transcending Roblox

By: Xuanie Bell and Emilia Abreu

This past year, the Roblox game “Adopt Me” has undergone significant changes:  a transformation to the task board, a new layout for the Nursery and the pet releaser, where you can exchange pets for points to eventually get an egg. On top of that, the new addition of ‘pet pens’ allows you to age up your pets while you are offline, completely changing the aging process. Adopt Me is among the most popular games on Roblox, with 40 billion visits since its creation in 2017. It was initially designed as a role-playing game focused on adopting and raising babies. Later in 2019, they added virtual pets, skyrocketing their users.

Furthermore, due to  COVID, kids were stuck inside all day with nothing to do but play online. 

The normal interactive gameplay includes tasks your pet needs to complete to age up, which you also receive bucks for in the in-game currency. You can purchase pet eggs, pet wear, toys, strollers, vehicles, and homes with these bucks. Trading is also a significant part of the game, allowing players to exchange items and possibly get items that are no longer obtainable, except through trading. 

With continuous updates, Adopt Me could have people playing for hours at a time every day, and with Christmas approaching, players are excited to see what the 2025 Christmas update will bring. The introduction of new penguins at the ice cream shop is kicking off the winter season. Many players online are speculating that the Penguins might connect to a larger winter storyline, such as more Antarctic animals, structures, and house decorations. Some mini-game ideas are to decorate a Christmas tree and go ice fishing for pets. As every year, the Christmas Advent Calendar and the ice skating mini-game will be back; otherwise, the content of the update is a mystery. 

There are numerous theories on what the update will bring, including the new pets, toys, map areas, vehicles, and pet wear.  Some players are hoping for the return of limited items from past events like the Gingerbread Reindeer, Bubble Buddies, Santa Dog, and the Missile Trolls. Others are hoping for new mini-games for an opportunity to earn more gingerbread, the currency for the Christmas event. The gingerbreads are used to obtain most of the event’s items, which are released at different times within December. 

During the Christmas events, new shops often open weekly, giving players something to look forward to in terms of content throughout December. Some of the most valuable and sought-after pets have come from past Christmas events, such as the frost dragon, frost fury, strawberry bat dragon, etc. Since event pets become unobtainable after the event ends, many players view Christmas releases as some of the most treasured additions of the year.

This game isn't just about pet trading, but is also a way many people come together, enjoy one another's company, and experience nostalgia. The game has a childhood charm to it, allowing people of all ages to adopt unique imaginary pets and raise them.

Regardless of what the developers reveal, the Christmas update remains one of the most anticipated, bringing and maintaining a festive community through mini games, limited-time pets, and the excitement of discovering seasonal items.