Bases in various states of construction (the one in the top left is getting pretty hefty!)

Following yesterday’s exciting announcement that we have now paid more than $500,000 to ROBLOX game developers, we thought now would be a great time to highlight one of the top-earning game makers of the summer: berezaa. His game, 2-Player Gun Factory Tycoon, seemingly came out of nowhere and quickly shot (heh) to the top of our game charts, earning the once-unknown developer throngs of fans and several million ROBUX. With the success of the game, he’s converting his virtual earnings to cash to supplement his life and eventually pay for higher education.

“It was a total overnight success, and it was really surprising,” berezaa tells me during our interview. When he first opened the game, he limited access to Builders Club members. A few hundred people showed up. Seeing that there was interest, berezaa decided to open up the game for all of ROBLOX. It exploded.

“My game was only dominating [the Builders Club-only game charts], with about 300 players in it right after I released it. I never expected it to reach millions.”

Now it has. 2-Player Gun Tycoon is a unique spin on the tycoon genre. Sure, at its core you’re building your tycoon from scratch, assembling machines that help you mine resources to earn more and more spendable currency. Berezaa has turned this otherwise tried-and-true exercise in ROBLOX gaming into a cooperative experience, where you can work with another player to accelerate your tycoon’s growth and defend it from attackers. Oh, and you can buy guns. And steal them from others.

Scouting princeduke’s and alexwinner123’s tycoon shortly before attempting to steal their weapons.

With a balance of offense and defense, you’re given plenty to do. When you choose your teammate and start building your base, you become either a Worker or Owner. This splits the responsibilities in half — the Owner is responsible for building the base itself, making it larger and more robust by adding various defensive walls and floors. The worker is responsible for building the machines needed to generate revenue and securing the outside parameter of the base. In way a way, it’s like 2-Player Gun Factory Tycoon is two games in one — you’ve got your standard build-and-earn gameplay going, but, at any time, you may be attacked. Or go on the attack.

This is what keeps the game so spontaneous. Berezaa gives you cheap upgrades you can purchase from the game’s home screen, allowing you to upgrade your character for a round. For instance, buy a Gravity Coil, up your overall speed for a round, and march your temporary super soldier into someone else’s base and try to steal their weapons. It’s an addicting dynamic that keeps you on your toes.

“I feel like people continue to play my game for the same reason games like Cookie Clicker are big hits,” he tells me. “When you start a round, you’re totally the underdog, and you have to work your way up. There’s just something really rewarding about rising from the bottom.”

The original version of the game, which was developed in only two days time, speaks volumes about the iterative nature of our platform. According to berezaa, releasing a primitive version of your game and gathering feedback can really fast track the building experience, allowing developers to implement the most requested features and abilities as quickly as they come in. Now, berezaa claims the biggest challenge he’s been dealing with in regards to his game is competition on the front page.

“When a one-day or two-day front page game steals my spot, I feel the need to recover that spot,” he tells me. “So that forces me to keep pushing out updates to maintain my spot on the front page.”

As more time passes your tycoon starts to become a massive, multi-floor secure base…

Once thousands of people were playing 2-Player Gun Factory Tycoon, berezaa realized he could theoretically make some money off the effort he poured into making the game. He added purchasable upgrades and perks using the Developer Products feature, which have resulted in one of the most financially successful ROBLOX hits ever to release.

“I started to really look into DevEx when I earned my first million ROBUX. My dad actually didn’t let me fill out a W9 at first because he couldn’t believe I made $2,000 on the internet,” he says with a laugh. “By the time I filled one out, I was at about five million ROBUX.”

…and you start earning some serious loot.

Berezaa has cashed out once at our new monthly limit of $12,000, and is planning on doing so again in the coming month. Only a sophomore in high school, berezaa plans on following in his parents’ footsteps and becoming a computer engineer, and credits this past summer season as “truly the wildest summer of [his] life.”

“I’m just putting the money into another account and continuing to live my regular life,” he tells me. “It’s going to help later on down the road, and will be a huge help in college for sure.”

Ultimately, 2 Player Gun Factory Tycoon represents the complete ROBLOX picture for a successful developer on our platform. Berezaa built something for his group and saw that people enjoyed his work. He updated it with tons of purchasable gear (did we mention you can buy a helicopter?!) that not only earn him serious ROBUX, but unlock unpredictable and addicting gameplay. He also drummed up a ton of interest in The ROBLOX Assault Team, a group he’s been a part of for several years, by offering in-game upgrades just for joining the group.

“My game has shown me that ROBLOX is a platform where truly anyone can succeed,” he tells. Start with a small idea, and don’t be afraid to completely change it up. This was such a small tycoon in the beginning. So I decided to mix things up and turn it into the game it is today.”