Roblox uses combining overlay characters (U+0336) for strikethrough, the same technique used on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. The difference on Roblox: the platform's real-time TextChatService processes and normalizes chat messages, which often strips or replaces combining Unicode characters as a safety measure. This means strikethrough in chat is unreliable.
Outside of chat — in game descriptions, group pages, and Studio-managed text — Roblox renders combining strikethrough correctly. These fields bypass the real-time filter and display your text as stored Unicode.
Strikethrough on Roblox — field breakdown
| Field | Strikethrough renders? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Game description | Yes | Reliable rendering in the game detail page description. |
| Group name | Yes | Crossed-out words in a group name create an intentional, edgy look. |
| Group description | Yes | Use for crossed-out old rules, version history, or aesthetic intro text. |
| Game Pass description | Yes | Crossed-out full price for a sale price works in game pass descriptions. |
| Game title | Partial | Combining characters may render inconsistently in Discover search results. |
| Display name | Partial | Renders on web; some mobile builds display combining chars as raw marks. |
| Chat messages | Usually blocked | TextChatService strips most combining Unicode. Use plain text in chat. |
| Username | No | ASCII only. |
Practical uses for strikethrough on Roblox game pages
- Version changelog style: 's̶e̶r̶v̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶c̶l̶o̶s̶e̶d̶ OPEN — servers restored after maintenance' in your game description instantly communicates status change.
- Sale pricing on game passes: a game pass description with '𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥̶ ̶p̶r̶i̶c̶e̶:̶ ̶𝟐𝟓𝟎̶ ̶𝐑̶𝐨̶𝐛̶𝐮̶𝐱̶ — 𝟏𝟓𝟎 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐮𝐱 (sale!)' creates urgency without a graphic.
- Rule removal in group descriptions: strikethrough through obsolete rules signals the group is actively maintained: 'r̶u̶l̶e̶ ̶3̶:̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶s̶p̶a̶m̶ (removed — spam filter handles this now)'.
- For horror game descriptions: 'E̶s̶c̶a̶p̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶a̶n̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ — no one has escaped yet' uses strikethrough as a narrative device to heighten dread.
Why strikethrough is blocked in Roblox chat
Roblox's TextChatService runs text through a series of safety checks before displaying messages. Combining characters like U+0336 (strikethrough overlay) can be used to create visual obfuscation — a word with combining characters may read normally to a human but bypass keyword filters because the underlying string is different from the plain word. Roblox strips combining chars as a precaution.
This is the same reason many Unicode styling techniques fail in Roblox chat. If you need to express strikethrough in chat, describe it in plain text ('(this rule is canceled)') or use Roblox's own emotes and formatting if available in your game context.