Cover-Credits:
The Roblox Developers Conference (RDC) is an annual event that showcases the platform’s innovative new ideas and developments. For this year’s event, the company exhibited several new technologies they have been working including generative AI and comprehensive avatar-building tools, and it also announced support for PlayStation consoles. The developers even expressed their plans to turn the game into a dating platform in the future.
Amidst all the excitement, popular Roblox developer Mikhail Olsen, also known as Simbuilder, was arrested by the police for allegedly attempting to enter the invite-only event and being erratic with the police. He was later also charged for carrying a concealed firearm.
Simbuillder Was Arrested for Reportedly Having a Concealed Firearm Among Other Charges
Mikhail Olsen, commonly referred to by his fans as Simbuilder, is a well-known developer in the community for creating the Roblox Vehicle Simulator, one of the most popular games on the platform. On 9th September at the RDC 2023, the creator was reportedly arrested by the police due to unauthorized entry into RDC 2023. It is noted that Simbuilder reportedly did not have a formal invite from the organizers. Olsen also attempted to resist the arrest by being erratic and violent shoving the officers as he was being handcuffed and led to the police vehicle. The arrest occurred just outside the Fort Mason Centre for Arts and Culture in San Francisco, California, where the RDC 2023 was held.
Later that evening, he was booked at the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office on several charges including concealing a firearm in a vehicle and possession of armor-piercing ammunition and a large capacity magazine.
Following this, RDC's Roblox Innovation Awards were also cancelled. Roblox said in a tweet, "In an abundance of caution, we have decided to cancel the Roblox Innovation Awards due to a potential security concern. We are working with all appropriate authorities and everyone is safe. We take safety very seriously. This is not how we wanted RDC to end."
The Roblox Community Reacts to Simbuilder’s Arrest
In the comment section of one @DevArdwyck’s tweet which showed Simbuilder’s erratic behavior, many fans expressed their concern with some saying: “This is sad to see. I hope he is able to turn things around in his life.”
DevArdwyck also provided further information on the situation: “For some context, I've heard anecdotally that he was trying to get in without a wrist band and supposedly pushed a security guard, which I'm assuming is what prompted the police response.”
The Roblox Vehicle Simulator is a game where you can drive various vehicles and explore different maps. Created by Simbuilder on 10th August 2014, the game mostly revolves around driving and racing.
